


A Vampire and a Hunter Walk Into a Bar

by Evitcani



Series: It Can't Be Pillow Talk [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Movie Monsters, Biting, Canon-Typical Violence, Dumb Idiot Monsters Fall in Love and Negotiate with Ghosts, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Mystery, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2018-11-04 00:00:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 73,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10978116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evitcani/pseuds/Evitcani
Summary: Kravitz is a monster hunter. Taako is a vampire. They meet in a bar and it goes as well as you'd expect: They end up married (SPOILERS).Tragically, they can't skip to happily ever after. First, they have to stop a pharmaceutical company's plan for world domination with the help of the Bureau of Balance's greatest heroes: Billy? Bob? I Didn't Quite Catch His Name But He Smiles a Lot From HR and Some Dude Named Brian Taako Met on Fantasy Grindr who I'm being told doesn't actually work at the BoB.They're off to a great start.This is the vampire twins, vain bird men, family of werebears, and grandpas satyr and dryad AU. No one's dead (except Barry on a technicality), everyone's just doing their best. Only marked with major recurring characters, but everyone will show up.Alternatively Titled: Dos Horny Monsters





	1. Let's Settle This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An obvious lure hidden by a few too many shots.

Victory was so close. Kravitz could practically taste it on the tip of his tongue. He reviewed the information he’d gotten from the little merman who had identified himself as Lucas Miller with only a little bit of yelling. Setting aside another empty shot on the dirty bar, he tapped the last piece of information he needed and grinned to himself. By the next night, he wouldn’t need to worry about money for a long, long time. 

He caught sight of the ring on his finger and remembered that didn’t mean he could quit hunting. The Raven Queen had sent him here for the undead. This _Bureau of Balance_ was a collection of many long-dead, criminal, or wanted souls that would satisfy everyone for a while. He rubbed at the bruise on his cheek; it was a _kind_ reminder of his standing debts beyond putting undead souls to rest. At least hunting meant he wasn’t bored enough to gamble himself deeper into debt.

Before he could get too far into reverie, someone slid a beer across the counter to him. Kravitz let his eyes enjoy the scenic path up the man’s body to his smirking face, “Hey there, handsome. You looked thirsty.” The corset with its red ties caught Kravitz’s eyes. 

Well, his luck had taken a turn for the better lately. Kravitz smiled, turning on the charm with his church accent, “Thank you. Unfortunately, beer isn’t going to slake my thirst, love.” It was stupid, but it worked well in these kinds of bars with the kind of men with pierced lips and black nails. Not that he was one to judge even if his nails were red that night.

“Tragic,” the man murmured, putting a hand to his mouth in mock sympathy. “Anything I can do to help?” His eyes gleamed as he looked Kravitz over appreciatively. Kravitz tried not to preen too much under the attention. 

At least this man seemed as disinterested in a game of cat and mouse as Kravitz was. Kravitz leaned an elbow on the bar, grinning. “Actually, there is.” He paused, holding out a hand. “Telling me your name would be one of many, many things we could do on the way to satisfying it.” He’d forget the name anyway, but it was polite to ask. 

The man covered his face, turning away as he attempted to contain his laughter. Kravitz tried not to let his smile dim, hand still held out awkwardly. “Sorry, sorry,” the man wheezed. “Hold on, I cannot believe you said that out loud and it was supposed to be sexy. I’m Taako, but -. Oh sweet merciful _gods_ and the _accent_ -,” he tittered. Kravitz dropped his hand back into his lap and glared. After a couple minutes of laughter, Kravitz collected his folder in embarrassment, moving to leave. Taako’s hand clamped down on his arm, surprisingly strong, and stopped him. “Sorry, Krav, but you have to admit that was kinda low-hanging fruit. I’m still down for boning if you are,” he grinned. 

Kravitz thought about telling this asshole to fuck off. Then, he glanced around the room, which was largely full of glaring, older bikers. He looked back at Taako.

“Nothing better to do,” he sighed, dropping the accent. It had been a good night; he would settle. 

He certainly didn’t notice that he’d never given Taako his name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready for another exciting AU? 
> 
> I'm so sorry. Someone reminded me vampires existed and here I am 13K words later.


	2. Curse Your Tentacles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snappy rebuttal that turns out to be a lot more trouble.

The lights flickered in a way that made the seedy motel room look like a horror movie. Taako thought it was fitting as Kravitz took a seat on the end of the bed, unlacing his boots. They had only walked across the street, after the hunter had seemingly resigned himself to sex. Taako was a _little_ offended. 

Not that it really mattered. 

“So,” Taako started cheerfully as he closed the door. Kravitz pulled off his shirt and looked up curiously. He fiddled with his hair and pulled out the bun, hair spilling down his shoulders. Suddenly, Taako had a few regrets that this was a conversation for pre-sex, not post. Actually, there wouldn’t be _any_ sex and, honestly, that was Taako’s biggest regret as his eyes roamed over the scars and tattoos and _piercings_. He had an idea that, on a normal night, he would have finally gotten to see a dick piercing in real life. 

This was not a normal night. 

Especially not when his sister and co-worker were only a paper-thin wall away. Taako smirked and pulled out his wand. “How do you feel about tentacles?”

The hunter only had a moment to be bewildered before Taako cast silence and Evard’s Black Tentacles in quick succession. Kravitz managed to pull a knife from his discarded boot, but was too busy hacking away at the tentacles to notice Taako aim Imprisonment his way. Delicate chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around Kravitz’s wrists as the tentacles disappeared. He froze, immediately, unable to move much more than his face. 

“I’m going to _fucking_ kill you,” he snarled, baring surprisingly sharp teeth for a half-elf. 

Taako collapsed backwards on the bed, panting. “Hoo boy, gimme a min, compadre. That was a lot of magic all at once.” He rolled his head to the side to meet Kravitz’s glare. “Listen, my man, no one is going to kill anyone if we all play nice. The way I see it is you sign a magical contract swearin’ never to go near the bee oh bee, I let you go, and we all go home happy.” Taako paused, looking around at the clothes neatly unpacked and put away. “Well, I guess this is already sorta your home here, handsome.”

“Go,” Kravitz said, drawing out the ‘o’, “fuck yourself.”

Taako rolled on his side, picking at his sleeves. “You know I’m, like, immortal. I’ve _actually_ got all day here,” he drawled. Maybe a change of clothes as a break. They’d pegged what goth boy was into the moment his profile had slid across their desks for non-violent threat removal. Taako had already decided to keep the piercings. Everything else was too stiff and uncomfortable to make an interrogation pleasant. 

Kravitz was struggling as much as he could, but it was useless against the spell. “I’m not going to peacefully stand here to be food for a vampire,” he hissed. His hands clenched and unclenched, trying to pull at the chains.

Rolling his eyes, Taako sat up, shaking his head, “Oh goody, you figured it out. Look, my man, I’m not hungry.” People always seemed to think all vampires were bloodthirsty. “I guess I’ll spell it out for you, handsome: You got four options.”

“Fuck you, I’ll -,” Kravitz growled. 

“Four options,” Taako interrupted, standing up and getting in Kravitz’s personal space. Kravitz met his stare fiercely, baring his teeth. “One,” Taako waved a finger in front of Kravitz’s face, “you sign the contract and we all get on with our lives. Two,” he flicked out another finger, “you get imprisoned in a gemstone. Three,” he wiggled three fingers between Kravitz’s eyes. Kravitz snapped at his hand and Taako barely pulled back in time to keep himself from being bitten. “Rude,” he snorted. “Anyway, option three is we kill you. Well, not _we_. I’m your friendly non-violent, babe,” he winked. 

Kravitz stared daggers at Taako. “Four?”

Grinning, Taako _tsk_ ed. “You’d think that because I listed it after death, you wouldn’t be all curious ‘n shit. The fourth option is this,” he pulled out the little daisy earring from his pocket, waving it a safe distance in front of Kravitz’s face. “It’ll keep you far, far away, but you won’t like the other things we couldn’t unpack from it.”

Kravitz grimaced and tried to lean back. It seemed hunter boy was touched by at least some magic, then, if he felt the unpleasant waves of curses roiling off it. “Good thing there’s a fifth option,” he commented, smirking.

Before Taako could fully parse that the chains had retracted back into the floor, Kravitz had slammed him against the wall by the neck. Taako clawed at Kravitz’s hand, not quite choking, but air was hard to come by. It registered he still had the earring in his hand. Kravitz got right into his face, opening his mouth to say something, but Taako snapped the earring on him without thinking. 

He yelped in pain, easing up on Taako briefly while he clapped one hand over his bleeding ear. Taako used the distraction to shove Kravitz off and dash to the exit. Kravitz reacted quickly, tackling him to the ground before he had quite reached the door. Taako rolled under him, grabbing his wand and casting Evard’s Black Tentacles again. They pulled Kravitz back as he struggled against them. Taako concentrated to maintain the spell longer than its one minute time limit as it restrained the hunter. 

Kravitz growled, trying to bite his way free, but the tentacles were faster than him. “What the fuck is with you and tentacles? You’re weird!”

Taako tittered and panted as he recovered, flicking his wand so the tentacles pulled Kravitz back into an armchair. “I’m gonna guess,” Taako hissed, rubbing at his throat, “that was your only Dispel.” 

Kravitz glared but didn’t answer, holding his head high as the tentacles slithered over him. He clenched his jaw, eye twitching. 

There was no doubt that the second Taako’s concentration broke, they could write ‘ _Tentacled a man to committing murder_ ’ on his tombstone. Taako wasn’t entirely sure that made sense, but he was starting to panic slightly. The silence bubble was still up, so calling Lup and Barry would be difficult without breaking the spell currently keeping him alive. “Right, seems we’ve come to a bit of an impasse, bucko,” he grinned. 

“I wish you would stop smiling about everything,” Kravitz snarked, frowning. 

Taako sat on the bed in front of him, fluffing up his hair with both hands and fluttering his eyelashes. “Come on, handsome, we both know you like what you see,” he winked. 

Kravitz’s mouth opened in utter disbelief. He stared for a few moments, where Taako did his best to pose at all his best angles. At least it kept Kravitz from struggling and breaking free that way if he was busy telling Taako off. Taako would have to wait for the silence spell to go down. “Are you _still_ flirting with me?”

“Maybe,” Taako leaned forward, batting his eyelashes. “Is it workin’?”

“No,” Kravitz practically shouted. Taako wondered if the hunter knew how much of a terrible liar he was. “You’re revolting. You already cursed me with - with _something_. Now you’re going to use me as food, aren’t you?”

Taako gave him a flat look. “What is it with you and the bitin’ thing? I’m not gonna bite you, my dude,” he replied, exasperated. “Bee tee dubs, your new accessory has some quirks. One, I’m the only one who can get it off. Tryin’ to cut it off will make it end up in not-so-fun places, so don’t do that. Two, if I die, then you’ve got it forever,” Taako explained quickly. He leaned forward to look at where he’d snapped the earring on. Kravitz sucked in a breath of air. “Hoo boy, I got you good. Might wanna get a healer on that later, my man.” 

“Get your mouth away from my neck,” Kravitz growled, struggling. 

Taako paused while pulling back, realizing how _warm_ Kravitz’s cheeks felt. “Wait,” he kept his face close to Kravitz’s, grinning. “Do you _want_ me to bite you?” Kravitz spluttered angrily and, yup, biting was a thing this guy was into. “Aw, bubala,” Taako smiled, patting him on the cheek. “It’s nothin’ to be ashamed of.”

Kravitz’s eyes narrowed and he headbutted Taako. That was enough pain and surprise to break Taako’s concentration. As the tentacles slithered away, Kravitz grabbed his wand and broke it in half, then pounced forward. He pinned Taako to the bed, snarling in his face, “Oh, you’ve really done it now.”

That stupid accent was back, which was somehow like rubbing salt in Taako’s wounds.

Well, Taako could beg for his life or use his newfound knowledge as leverage. “So, as I was saying, babe, you want me to bite you? You only need ask,” he winked, squirming under Kravitz in all the right places. 

Kravitz averted his eyes, grimacing. “Why are the undead so -.” 

“Hot? I spend a lot on makeup, but most of this is natural, handsome,” Taako interrupted, still squirming. It was clearly getting to the hunter. “When’s the next time you’re going to find a vampire down to cater to your pleasure, huh? I’m just one, extraordinarily beautiful vampire, who isn’t even hungry might I remind you, that you were down to fuck not ten minutes ago. It’s your lucky night, babe,” Taako insisted, trying to tug his hands free. 

“I was going to say ridiculous,” Kravitz growled, glaring down. He glanced around the room, then back at Taako, leaning closer. “You can’t be working alone. How many people are in the next room?”

Taako’s eyes flashed up angrily. He remembered he wasn’t maintaining a spell anymore and the magic crackled across his fingertips. Kravitz’s eyes rolled in the back of his head as the sleep spell took hold. 

As soon as he hit the bed, Taako rolled free and sprung to his feet. He scrambled to grab whatever files he could get his hands on. There was no way he was going to wait around to see if goth boy was tired enough for it to stick past the usual minute. He slammed the door open and was gone.

Luckily for him and his team, Kravitz didn’t stir again until morning with a bad taste of key-lime go-gurt in his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should be daily-ish updates until I hit my wall where I run out of content. :D;;


	3. It's a Metaphor for Something Weird, Probably

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rude awakening to subconscious consultations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where it gets a little more NSFW.

Dreams didn’t always reflect reality. When Kravitz woke up, he would be angry and frustrated at his subconscious. For now, he was enjoying thoughts of letting Taako’s hands go and feeling lips ghost against his neck. He groaned, shifting in bed, as his dream self ground against Taako. The vampire was every sweet temptation Kravitz had ever found himself chasing.

Cheeky, infuriating, _fascinating_.

Perhaps, the blame rested as much on his conscious thoughts as his subconscious fantasies. A hand twisted in the bed sheet as he imagined following Taako’s mouth with his own, what the vampire’s moans would feel like against his lips. Ripping off that corset and frilly shirt to pepper kisses down bare skin. Taako would have grabbed him by his hair, pulled him up for more kisses, rolling them over to steal control. 

He would have let him, too, ready to go wherever Taako would take this. Vividly, he could feel the satin of Taako’s stocking as he slid a hand under his skirt and up his inner thigh. Another groan as there was more biting and then, his brain stuttered, _tentacles?_ Slithering up from the mattress and restraining Kravitz as Taako laughed wickedly. He shuddered and the thought crossed his mind that he _really_ didn’t need any weird, new things to be _into_.

Kravitz woke up with a start.

Remembering the night before, he sat up straight and swore as he checked the time. It was ten in the morning. Taako and his team were long gone, safely sequestered in The Bureau of Balance. 

He punched a pillow if only to get rid of some of his frustration. Getting caught like that had been the paramount of stupidity. Not to mention that he’d been tired enough for that spell to knock him out for nearly twelve hours. There had been so many little warning signs that should have put him more on alert. He touched the new earring and winced. It was sore, but it wasn’t swollen. At least Taako had done it fast enough for a clean puncture. 

Grumbling as he got up, Kravitz jabbed the coffee maker into working on a small pot while he went to shower. Taking a look at himself in the mirror, he saw the blood had been from where Taako had scraped the sharp end across his ear. It also looked ridiculous alongside his other piercings; insult to injury. He took care of more frustration panting under the spray of water with half-remembered dreams and all too real memories from the night before.

It was easier to chalk it up to it having been a while since he’d decided to unwind than really think about it. He shaved and brushed his teeth, wondering why his toothpaste had such a weird taste. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he sat down to get to work. Disappointingly, but not surprisingly, the files he’d left on the table were missing. He’d learned to make duplicates for a reason. He popped open his bag of holding and pulled out a few things. His laptop, an ancient printer scanner combo, and ingredients for the ritual to track Taako down. 

He took a sip of his coffee and barely held himself back from spitting it out. Kravitz swallowed with a grimace and stared down at the cup. This was a new type of coffee he’d decided to try when they didn’t have his usual. It wasn’t _terrible_ , but it wasn’t _good_ either. Upturning the cup into the sink and going to buy a new bag of coffee would require energy he wouldn’t have acquired from his coffee. 

Grimacing, he downed the rest of the cup and got up to pour himself another. It almost tasted like key-lime gogurt, of all things. Kravitz wasn’t particularly fond of the taste, but he’d eat it if it was the last gogurt left. Which was why he finished the pot as he printed out his missing materials, scanning in new notes and putting them on a remote drive. 

He put everything away in his bag of holding and then rolled out a mat on the floor. Searching his clothes from the previous night, Kravitz found long hair that definitely wasn’t his. He conducted the ritual quickly, snapping the green light that appeared above his head into a locket with Taako’s hair. After putting it on, he could feel it lightly tugging him in the right direction. It was only three in the afternoon and he doubted a vampire would be walking around in broad daylight. He tucked it under his shirt for later. 

On the street corner was a little diner where Kravitz picked something cheap, but big enough that he would have leftovers. The coffee tasted like key-lime gogurt. So did his eggs. The sandwich, too, tasted like key-lime gogurt. 

The waitress came over to pour him more coffee. “How is everything tasting? Made it myself,” she winked. 

He smiled up at her, accent on, “You look nice today.” She’d been discounting his food for the last few days and it didn’t cost him a thing to make a woman in her fifties feel pretty. “It was not very good, love,” he replied cheerfully. Her face dropped and he frowned, having no idea where that had come from. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that,” he corrected quickly. “It’s - I’m in a weird place today. I think someone cursed my taste-buds? Everything tastes like key-lime gogurt.” He stared down at his food. Kravitz had _definitely_ not meant to say that much. 

The waitress recovered quickly, laughing and waving her hand, “Oh, I see. I did something like that as a prank when I was younger. Made everything taste like oranges! There’s a curse removal shop not far down the street.” 

Kravitz thanked her sincerely and rubbed his temples when she had gone. He had an idea he had discovered another of the curses. He glared at his white coffee cup. “The coffee cup is white,” he whispered to himself, grimacing. He’d meant to say it was green. 

Well, he’d have to be careful who he ran into before he could threaten the vampire into taking the earring off. He gathered his box of food, tipping generously, and brought it back to his room before heading down to that curse shop the waitress had mentioned. They wouldn’t be able to remove the curses, but they could tell him what he was dealing with. 

As he neared its location, Kravitz became a little uncomfortable with how close it was to one of the entrances to The Bureau of Balance. They definitely knew his face, so Kravitz popped on a pair of sunglasses and pulled his hood up. 

The shop was exactly what he was expecting. As much advertising fortune telling as it was curse removal. Kravitz stopped to read a small poster on the front door about private investigations. It looked like a little kid had made it and he snorted. He shoved beads out of his way as he passed through the door, dropping his hood back and pulling off his sunglasses. 

A young boy who seemed too _normal_ to be working in this kind of shop sat at the counter. He looked up from his book with a big smile, “Hello, sir! I’m Angus. What brings you here today?”

Kravitz cast his eyes around for an adult, wondering if this violated some kind of child labor laws or if the kid was just helping his parents. “Ah, well,” he started, waving at his ear. “I was cursed by a vampire. I don’t think you’ll be able to uncurse it, but maybe someone could identify what _exactly_ I’ve been cursed with.” He winced, still more information than he’d meant to provide. 

Angus nodded, smiling. “Consultation is free, sir!”

“Good, I’m broke,” Kravitz nodded, then slapped a hand over his face. 

The boy smiled at him sympathetically. “Cursed to always tell the truth, sir?” Kravitz nodded and sighed. “Well, go ahead and take a seat, sir,” Angus gestured to a chair, “I’ll go get Sloane.”

He took off into the back, past a beaded curtain. Kravitz took a seat and waited to be called back. He picked up a magazine about, of all things, motorcycles. It was pertinent to Kravitz’s interests, so he managed to keep himself entertained. 

A large, burly man emerged from the back, giving Kravitz a big smile. He looked oddly familiar, but Kravitz chalked it up to possibly having passed him over the last two weeks. “Hey there, come on back,” he gestured. 

Kravitz stood up quickly, walking over. “Are you Sloane?” He held out his hand to shake. “I’m Kravitz. A pleasure, I’m sure.”

“No, I’m Magnus,” Magnus laughed, grabbing Kravitz’s hand and shaking roughly. Kravitz had the idea that, despite the smile, he was being _warned_. He warily followed Magnus into the back, checking to make sure he’d strapped on all his knives and guns. 

As they started farther back, Kravitz felt a headache forming in the middle of his forehead. He paused, rubbing his temples. “Sorry, just a moment,” he apologized. “Headache.” 

Magnus’s hand clamped onto Kravitz’s upper arm and _dragged_ him forward. Kravitz struggled, but his whole head felt like static the farther back he was pulled. “That’s what I thought,” Magnus snapped, flicking the daisy earring. Kravitz opened his mouth, but couldn’t form a thought coherent enough to speak. Magnus shoved him back the way they had come. 

Kravitz stumbled, sprawling across the carpeted hallway. The static in his brain disappeared immediately. There was a residual headache and weakness as he fumbled for his gun. He couldn’t even get the clasp on the holster undone. Everything felt very confusing. Kravitz couldn’t remember why he wanted his gun.

Magnus sighed and helped him to his feet, leading Kravitz to a side room. He sat Kravitz in a chair. “Where are all your weapons?” 

Still bewildered, it felt easier to Kravitz to just point to their locations than try to argue that he needed them for some reason. The reason escaped him at that moment. Magnus took all of them and left briefly, then came back with tea and a blanket. He pushed tea into Kravitz’s hands and put a blanket around his shoulders. 

“Angus said the confusion should go away in a few minutes, then we’re gonna talk,” Magnus said seriously. 

Clarity was starting to return to Kravitz’s thoughts as he sipped at the tea, stirring it with his pinky. “Okay,” he murmured, feeling like he sounded dazed to his own ears. Carefully holding the cup with both hands, he started to put the tea to his lips again. He sat it down suddenly, glancing wildly around the room. “Wait, what the fuck?” 

Magnus laughed and sat across from him. “There it is,” he snickered. Kravitz glared, shrugging the blanket off, annoyed. “Hey, hey,” Magnus chastised, grabbing the blanket and putting it back on him. “Angus said you could go into shock and we should keep you warm.”

“I’m only shocked you lot are so _stupid_ you’re helping someone trying to _kill you_ ,” Kravitz snarled. Then, he pinched the bridge of his nose. That hadn’t been what he’d meant to say. He knew why Magnus looked familiar now. High bounty, were-bear, wanted for leading a were-people revolt in Kansas.

Patting both of Kravitz’s shoulders. “We’re monsters, but we’re not _monsters_ ,” Magnus grinned, sitting back down. “You already have the earring and clearly stumbled in here by accident. Seems like you’re having a kinda bad day,” he shrugged, like it was obvious. 

Kravitz leaned an elbow on the table, eyes darting around the room for possible exits. “When can I go?” 

“Well, I think that depends on you. You can still sign that contract and Taako will take that earring off,” Magnus offered. “Klarg baked scones and said you could have one if you do.”

Kravitz snorted, sitting back and sipping more of his tea. “I looked Taako up this morning. Did you know he, alone, is worth twenty-five thousand dollars? Dead or alive. Murdered _forty_ people in Glamour Springs, Texas. One was a single mother of three who volunteered at a soup kitchen every day of her life,” he tapped on the table angrily. “ _You_ , Magnus Burnsides, you’re worth fifty thousand dollars, alive. Your wife, who I’m sure is somewhere in here, is worth ten thousand.”

“Taako’s innocent, but both of us know they’d jump at the chance to stake a vampire. And Jules and I had our reasons. We did the right thing, even if the governor disagreed.” Magnus glared and sat back himself, crossing his arms when it didn’t seem to sway Kravitz. “So, you’re willing to murder and kidnap people for money? _Innocent_ people?”

“I’m willing to murder monsters who think they can do whatever they want and get away with it,” Kravitz snarled back. Again, not something he had meant to say, but it would work. “The courts do the judgement, not me. You don’t have the right to skirt the laws,” he jabbed a finger at Magnus accusingly. 

Magnus grinned, something dangerous in his eyes. “Do you do this job because it’s easy money for a monster like you? And I’m not talking about you not exactly being a half-elf, either.” 

“Yes,” Kravitz snapped, hating that he let that get to him. His lips twitched in displeasure. 

“Couldn’t you return to your old job? What was it?” Magnus countered, eyeing Kravitz. 

Kravitz felt the answer on the tip of his tongue. “I was a police officer until a murderer ran across state borders and no one did anything about it because she was a ghoul. The special human task forces are way behind on requests for help,” he growled. “I don’t want to go back, I used to get shit for being part harpy.” Not something he had wanted to admit to. He held his head up high, daring Magnus to use that against him. 

“Aw.” Kravitz glared more openly; Magnus smiled more genuinely, “That’s kinda noble, Kravitz. You’d probably like working here.”

“I sincerely doubt that,” Kravitz drawled, looking away. 

“We put your weapons back in your room. Don’t come here again,” Magnus slid a card across the table. “This is my number. Call me if you need someone to talk to. Sorry you couldn’t meet Sloane today. She’s a harpy so she could probably help you better than me.” 

“Being a harpy does not bother-,” Kravitz frowned as his words refused to form. He tried a couple times more as Magnus watched patiently, eventually settling on, “It’s not a problem for me. I don’t need someone to _talk_ to.” Magnus smiled and gestured at the card. Kravitz glared down at it then back up at Magnus. “That’s it?” 

“Well,” Magnus laughed awkwardly, standing up and walking over to Kravitz. “I gotta knock you out.” 

Kravitz tried to flinch away. “Wait -,” he started, but it was too late. One swift hit to the back of the head and darkness swallowed Kravitz. 

He woke up in the darkness of his room, sitting up quickly. Reaching around, he touched the back of his head, but it didn’t hurt. Neither did his ear. Even the bruise on his cheek was gone. He clearly remembered the conversation with Magnus, but couldn’t at all recall where it had happened. Searching his memories, it all felt like it’d been clipped out, like a badly edited video. He growled in frustration and punched his pillow. It was ten o'clock at night according to his phone. 

The locket. 

Kravitz’s hands fluttered around his neck, hoping they hadn’t confiscated it while he was out. He found the chain around his neck and pulled it out quickly, grinning as he felt it tugging him towards Taako. 

A few things could be done to get free of the curse. Maybe he’d have to try something more diplomatic. 

There would be hell to pay when he was free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, sure, there's hell to pay.


	4. Not the Worst They've Ever Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Make-outs in a back alley behind a club.

The club was loud enough to get lost in. Taako had enjoyed it for a couple of hours, but he needed to breath air that didn’t smell like sweat and weed. He emerged into an alleyway, taking deep breaths. Finding someone to go home with had been harder tonight than usual. No one had been as up to his standards as Kravitz had been. 

It was a damn shame. 

Magnus had, of course, warned Taako that Kravitz had showed his face at one of the Bureau's branches that day. He insisted that Kravitz seemed like recruitment material. 

Also that Taako was the most likely to be able to recruit him. The Director had agreed. 

He pulled out a cigarette and his lighter, wishing Lup had come out with him. It sparked, but never lit. He swore and shook it by his ear, realizing it was out of fluid. Frustrated, he tossed it down the alley and pulled out his wand. 

“Need a light?” A small flame flicked on in the darkness.

 _Speak of the devil_ , Taako thought, holding his cigarette out and knuckles whitening where he gripped his wand. Kravitz stepped forward, somehow more attractive than the night before without a discolored bruise on his cheek or bags under his eyes. “Hey there, handsome. Heard you had one hell of a day,” Taako grinned, batting his eyelashes. 

Getting cornered like this wasn’t great. He was alone, the others were inside and away. If this went bad, it could go _really_ bad. 

Kravitz sighed and snapped the lighter close as Taako took a drag. “I feel like I’ve been approaching this all wrong, Taako,” he started, gesturing between them. “Perhaps, we could come to something of a more agreeable circumstance for -.”

“Not that dumb, compadre,” Taako laughed, scattering smoke in front of his face. Kravitz glared, lips thinning in a hard line. Still tittering to himself, Taako shook his head, “ _Please_. You were trying to do that whole joining us to betray thing, weren’t you?”

“Yes,” Kravitz ground out, obviously trying to stop himself. 

Ah, Taako thought, it was the truth curse today. That could be something he used. The hunter may have been good at his job most of the time, but Taako had been able to fluster him. “Cute. Now that we’re being all honest, bubala, how _do_ you feel about tentacles?” He was only joking, but smirked when Kravitz winced. 

“Previously? Nothing. Since I had a dream about you last night? Well, mostly very confused-,” Kravitz muffled himself by slapping a hand over his mouth. He moved his hands back, still hovering near his mouth as he snipped, “I hate you.” His eyes flicked over Taako. “Everything was a lie, wasn’t it?”

Taako glanced down at himself, bright yellow jeans and a loose, white tank top with layers of colorful beads around his neck. He put a hand on his hip and struck a pose. “Bones, we pegged you for what you liked pretty quick,” he winked and stuck his tongue out, showing off the star-shaped stud. “Finally gave me a reason to get more piercings.”

“Of course,” Kravitz growled. “Should have seen you for a nothing but a lure.” 

Tilting his head, Taako took another drag and blew the smoke aside. “It was enough to hook you in, my man. Is that all you think of me?” He wouldn’t mind if it was. Kravitz was so transparent with his attraction, eyes lingering in every glance. Taako felt like he could live with being hot enough to make a grown man question his stance on tentacles. 

“No. You’re more intelligent and competent than you look,” Kravitz snapped. Then, slapped a hand over his face, letting out an exasperated groan. 

Taako laughed, tapping ashes from his cigarette. “What did you mean to say there, my dude?” 

Kravitz sighed, sounding defeated, “That you’re nothing but a dime a dozen pretty face.”

“That curse has got you pretty hard up for defensive lyin’, bubala,” Taako snickered, blowing a smoke ring after another drag. 

Briefly distracted, Kravitz watched it float into the sky. Then, he redirected his attention on Taako. “What does this thing do?” He gestured at his ear. 

Taako had tried telling Kravitz the previous night, but their struggle for who was in control of the situation had waylaid that. “Three curses on lock,” he started, counting them off on his fingers. “Everythin’ tastes like key-lime go-gurt, can’t go close to Bureau locations, and it glows faintly if ya fib. The fourth one changes every day. That’s it.” 

“What? Thank the gods that’s _it_ ,” Kravitz growled, shaking his head. “Are you fucking kidding me? Take this damn thing off me!” He lifted his hand like he was going to hit Taako, then lowered it, fist shaking.

Wagging a finger at Kravitz, Taako took another drag and blew the smoke in Kravitz’s face. Kravitz wrinkled his nose and waved the smoke away. “Yeah, the only thing between me and gettin’ staked. Let me get that for you, my dude,” he said flatly, not moving. Kravitz stared him down, but Taako didn’t waver. He did slip a necklace out of his pocket and toss it to Kravitz, who caught it without too much fumbling. “That’ll tell you what you’re dealin’ with in the morning,” he added. 

“ _Yeah_ , that’s far more useful than not being fucking cursed at all,” Kravitz snarled He looked it over, then put it in his jacket pocket. “One more question: How do you sleep knowing what you’ve done? Murdering forty people, Taako. Putting your sister on the run for it, too, trying to frame your assistant.” 

“Knowin’ I’m innocent, my man,” Taako returned easily, refusing to let those memories claw up now. “Sounds like your sleep has been disturbed by me, handsome. How badly do you want me to bite you? Or do you want me to tentacle your dick?” He wasn’t going to take the bait, but he wasn’t about to let it go, either. 

Kravitz’s shoulders went up defensively, clearly trying to come up with a response that skirted the truth. It was cute, really. “Extremely. I’d let you do whatever weird shit you wanted to do to my body if -,” he cut himself off, hand muffling the rest of it as he squeezed his eyes shut. 

Well, wasn’t _that_ something. Taako’s smirk widened, “Hoo boy, you’re a lotta fun. Do you want -?” Taako paused, reconsidering his question as Kravitz watched warily. _Want_ was different from _would like to_. “I’m bored; you’re hot and angry. Do you want to make out with me? If yes, would you _like_ to make out with me?”

“Yes and no. What the _fuck_ would that accomplish?” Kravitz snarled. Taako preened, leaning forward into Kravitz’s space as he leaned back. He grimaced as he seemed to realize what he’d said. “Fuck,” he swore, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re very attractive.” Taako laughed and Kravitz swore again. “Exactly my type. I hate you with every fibre of my being. Sweet, merciful Death, I can’t shut up.”

Taako snickered, waving his cigarette in Kravitz’s face, “To answer your question, my man, you can’t do nothin’ about me ‘til I take that earring off. At least this way, you can get a little bit of satisfaction. Hell, if you’re looking for more action,” he grinned and licked his lips, “I’ll suck your blood if you suck my cock.” He _had_ been instructed to focus on recruitment during further interactions. No better way to bring someone around to a way of thinking than making them moan your name. This was a starting point.

Kravitz froze, dumbstruck, mouth falling open in shock. He gaped for a moment, then closed his mouth with a click. “Seriously, what the _fuck_ is wrong with you?” 

“You goin’ down or what?” Taako drawled, taking another drag and letting the smoke trail out the corners of his mouth. He smirked as he watched Kravitz’s internal battle. The resolve that settled in his eyes seemed a bit odd for someone considering if they wanted to fool around. Taako was ready for him to say ‘no’. 

“Fuck,” Kravitz swore, getting in Taako’s face. Taako pressed back against the wall, refusing to be intimidated. He blew smoke directly in Kravitz’s face. 

The kiss took Taako by surprise. 

That didn’t mean he wasn’t delighted to tilt his head and invite Kravitz’s tongue deeper. Kravitz’s hand found its way to his ass, squeezing through the jeans. It made Taako regret not wearing a skirt for easier access. 

Still, Taako was aware this could turn extremely dangerous. He flipped them, shoving a knee between Kravitz’s thighs. That gave him more confidence that he could easily flee if needed. For right now, he’d ride out grinding against goth boy. He let his lips travel down to Kravitz’s neck, sucking and licking. Kravitz tilted his head up to give Taako easier access, panting and groaning. A hand tangled in Taako’s hair. Taako paused, pulling back slightly as he spoke, “Do you want me to bite you?”

“Yes, _please_ ,” Kravitz hissed. 

Hearing a near-plea from such a powerful man spoke to something inside him, but Taako reigned himself in. That hadn’t been the right question. “Hold up, handsome. Would you _like_ me to bite you, right now?” 

Kravitz took a deep breath through his nose; he seemed surprised by the question. “No,” he replied softly. “I don’t want to be tired later or embarrass myself.” He frowned at the that last piece of information. 

Taako snorted and moved a hand to Kravitz’s cheek. “You really don’t need to be embarrassed,” he assured, pecking Kravitz on the lips and wrapping one arm around his neck. “Kinda flattering that I’m good lookin’ enough you wanna be stabbed in the neck by me,” he smirked and took another drag as he watched Kravitz struggle with his reply. 

“I meant by coming too early,” Kravitz returned, then groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. 

This close, Taako could feel the heat from his cheeks. “Ain’t that somethin’,” he grinned. He put his cigarette out on the wall and dropped his newly freed hand to Kravitz’s hip. Figuring anything else he said would make it worse, he laughed and kissed Kravitz again. Kravitz was more than happy to deepen it and take the distraction. 

It wasn’t long before Taako’s hand was sliding up Kravitz’s shirt, tugging at his piercings curiously. He was rewarded with moans Kravitz tried to bite back before he gave up entirely on holding his voice in. Kravitz slid his fingers just past the hem of Taako’s jeans, waiting until Taako mumbled an agreement into his ear to grope his bare ass. 

The music from the club roared into existence as someone opened the door. They both ignored the comment about getting a room. Kravitz used his grip on Taako’s ass to grind them together more roughly as if in opposition. Taako intentionally moaned louder; Kravitz followed his lead, grabbing Taako’s hair and pulling him in for desperate, sloppy kisses. The person made a disgusted noise and went back into the club. They broke apart, laughing. “We’re those assholes now,” Kravitz murmured when they paused for air. He gave Taako another squeeze. 

Taako squirmed against Kravitz, groaning softly and wanting far more touching than he thought he’d get. He tugged at a piercing in revenge, making Kravitz moan helplessly. “Listen, I hate to tell you this, handsome,” he laughed breathlessly, “but judgin’ by how quick we both decided to get hot and heavy to piss someone off, we’ve both _always_ been those assholes.” Kravitz grinned and hummed noncommittally. “If we keep goin’ like this, we should take their advice,” Taako said, pointedly running a hand down Kravitz’s chest. 

Regretfully, Kravitz moved both his hands to Taako’s waist. “What do you want?” 

This felt like a trap, somehow. Taako quirked his eyebrow, studying Kravitz’s face. Being truly alone probably wasn’t a good idea. Still, tonight had slim pickings at the club. “To dance with you until I’m too tired to remember how sexually frustrated I am.”

Kravitz laughed and Taako was distracted by how striking he was when his face softened. His smile wasn’t as wide or purposefully charming. It was small and shy, like he didn’t know he was even smiling. “I’d like that very much, love,” he replied, ruining the moment with a stupid accent. “Why are you glaring at me?” 

Taako rolled his eyes and dragged Kravitz into the club. He tried to keep the others from noticing, but they did. Lup, in particular, made faces at him all night. Taako was in for some teasing when they went home. 

Luckily, Kravitz seemed oblivious. Taako enjoyed watching the hunter lost in the ebb and flow of the music. It was like he had truly relaxed, inviting Taako into his space to kiss and touch and fondle. When Taako was starting to feel tired, Kravitz slowed them down to a sway that was somehow more intimate than when Kravitz had been groping his ass. 

Whenever they slowed down, Taako kept up a conversation about favorite movies to distract himself from the heat in his cheeks. It turned out they both enjoyed shitty B-list monster flicks. A fact that did not surprise Taako at all was Kravitz’s crush on the late Vincent Price. Taako’s insistence about the subtle humor in Paul Blart made Kravitz laugh hard enough that he had to stop dancing. 

In the middle of that laughter, something hit Taako square in the chest. 

No more than lust, he thought. It was a good thing Taako wasn’t the one afflicted with the truth. He could keep telling himself that this was all a part of recruitment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's allll part of recruiting. Not a one way ticket to crush town.


	5. Maybe It's Intuition, Maybe It's Paperwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pick and choose from any part of that file, it all comes back as "crap your pants" scary.

The moment they returned from the club, Lup pulled Taako aside. She sat across from him in their shared living room. “Koko, what are you thinking?” Her tone was almost accusatory, but she tried to make it gentle. The truth was that she was worried. 

Taako sprawled across the armchair, looking exhausted. “Lup, dearest darlingest sister, can we _please_ have this conversation tomorrow? I’m dying. I’m literally dying,” he groaned, sinking into the cushions. “I haven’t eaten in two days. I’m dead.” He closed his eyes and exaggerated a snore.

Her lips twitched as she tried to stop from laughing. It would only encourage him to ignore the conversation later. “Sorry, broseph, nothin’ can save you now,” she insisted, leaning forward and pinching his nose. Taako wrinkled his nose and jerked his head back, glaring at Lup.

“Fine,” he relented. Sinking farther into the cushions, Taako hid his face as he looked over at her. “He’s cute,” he finally replied. 

“Cute,” she drawled, eyes flicking over his face disbelievingly. “Did you read his file? Are we even talking about the same scythe-wielding psychopath?”

He threw up his hands in frustration. “I mean, I didn’t read _all_ of it!”

Lup gaped at him for a moment. She knew Taako skimped on paperwork, but she had expected him to at least read the whole thing before agreeing to lure someone into a motel room. Leaning over, the filing cabinet next to the couch rattled angrily as she jerked it open, pulling out the file. She started reading the notes from Intel, “‘Kravitz was drafted as an infantry scout in 1941, age nineteen, during World War II. He was honorably discharged in 1942, age twenty, after being shot five times on a mission. It is notable that he was the only surviving member of the ambushed party and crawled two hours, bleeding, back to his captain, where he reported in full before fainting from blood loss. The doctors noted it was a miracle he survived.’” Taako sank farther down as she glared across at him.

She flipped forward a few pages, continuing to read, “‘In 1981, age fifty-nine, Kravitz left the police force in Queen’s Hill, Louisiana where he had served for thirty-seven years. Prior to leaving, he -,’” she stopped, skipping down to the more interesting parts. “‘Reportedly, he hadn’t fully researched ghouls. After sewing his thumb back on and using a healing scroll, Kravitz discovered a scythe that had once been used by the imprisoned farmers. He brought back the heads of five ghouls, collecting the bounties on three. Murder charges were dismissed on the grounds of self-defense for the remaining two. Due to the publicity of the slaying, the newspapers nicknamed him The Reaper.’” 

She paused, affecting an excited tone, “Oh here’s a fun fact, Taako, ‘The scythe was donated to the local museum alongside the two mummified heads. It remains unclear how two of the ghoul heads became mummified. Maureen Miller obtained one of the pair and has so far been unable to deduce its cause.’” She lowered the file to stare directly at Taako, who was glaring at the ceiling. 

“Listen, Lup, I get it, but -,” Taako replied defensively. 

Lup interrupted him by holding up a finger, flipping to the very last page. “‘In conclusion, Kravitz poses a significant threat to the BoB’s operations. However, a violent means to removal would likely end in agent loss. Intel recommends non-violent removal by a prime team in order to reduce danger. Preparation of evacuation should begin immediately in case of mission failure. All students are to be recalled from public services to begin home schooling -.’ Blah, blah, blah all the lockdown details. Yanno, the lockdown we just got off of?” She tossed the file onto Taako’s lap. “I think we got team of the _year_ for actually pullin’ this one off without a scratch, Taako. And here you come, back from a smoke, with this guy trailin’ behind you like a puppy and your lipstick smudged. Your lipstick smudged on _his_ face. Which meant you were _alone_ with him. You macked on this Mac instead of runnin’. What the _hell_ were you thinkin’?”

Taako rolled over so he was facing away from Lup. He said something that was too muffled for Lup to hear. Lup sighed, leaning her elbows on her knees. “I can’t hear you,” she informed him.

He turned around to glare at her over his shoulder. “Didn’t you see the memo I got this evening? I’m supposed to recruit The Reaper.” 

It was the defensive glare he got when he was anxious or scared. Lup sighed and sat on the couch next to him. “Hey,” she murmured. He didn’t respond. “You need me to fuck him up?”

Taako spluttered, laughing and turning over to look up at her. “No!” 

“I’ll do it if you say the word,” she grinned. 

He laughed harder, shaking his head. “No - no, it’s -,” he paused, sighing, face going more serious. “Nothin’ in his file says he’s interested in breaking the law. I think he’s -, now this is goin’ to sound ridiculous, but hear me out. I think he’s tryin’ to seduce me into takin’ off that earring.” Lup paused, listening curiously. “He flipped from ‘what the fuck is wrong with you’ to shoving his tongue down my throat too quickly. Here’s the thing, bubala, he’s not gonna go away,” Taako continued, gesturing wildly as he thought out loud. 

Lup nodded slowly, mind following Taako’s line of thinking. If his file displayed anything, it was persistence and ingenuity. Despite the curse, he’d find a way to curtail and chase them. It had been another worry of theirs when they’d thrown the earring together as a last ditch. 

“He’s bein’ docile, sweet even, tryin’ to seduce me,” Taako commented. “Why ruin a good thing when I can turn it back on him? I think Magnus and the Director are right. He _can_ be recruited. I think it might take more than me, though, Lup,” he grinned, posing dramatically. “I’m beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but making him fall in love with me? Nu uh, not gonna happen. With his record, it wouldn’t be enough neither. But changing his mind about all of us?” He stopped, slapping a hand over his face. “Nevermind, that’s stupid. He’s unrepentant.”

Lup grinned back, “No! No, Taako, you’re not - You’re not stupid. That might just work.” She picked up the file, flipping through it. Putting her finger by the paragraph she wanted, she read it aloud, “‘Two agents have been hunted by Kravitz. One refused to talk about the circumstances of their escape or why Kravitz gave up the chase. Maureen Miller volunteered the information freely. As her status is dead or alive, Kravitz indicated his willingness to use force by shooting her in the arm. After tracking her down, Maureen tried to hide, but Lucas Miller, who was newborn at the time, began crying.’” 

Taako sat up, listening intently. Lup met his gaze, then continued, “‘Kravitz kept a gun trained on her and, after a short conversation about Lucas being hungry, eventually lowered it. Too exhausted to keep moving, Maureen couldn’t flee while Kravitz left to buy food for Lucas. When he returned, she directed him on how to feed Lucas, during which they had a conversation about her arrest. Kravitz put Lucas in his crib, patched up Maureen’s arm, and ceased hunting her. To her knowledge, no other bounty hunter has picked up her bounty. She believes this is due to Kravitz’s reputation and others deeming her too dangerous to hunt as a result.’” She lowered the file again, a wicked smile on her face. 

“Goth boy’s got a heart. Team of the _century_ here we come,” Taako crowed. 

The twins fist-bumped and pulled in Barry to start devising a more concrete plan. Unfortunately, their success often came at the heels of the unplanned.


	6. Woof.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An exchange of words and other things.

The plan was working. Kravitz was far too tired to celebrate his success, collapsing onto the motel mattress after a shower. The dancing had worn him out, but it had clearly won Taako over. 

At least, if a mutual interest at seeing _House on Haunted Hill_ projected in one of the parks in two days was any indication. It almost sounded like a date. Taako giving Kravitz his number to coordinate felt like a secondary success. 

It hadn’t hit Kravitz until Taako had commented about sucking that he could seduce the vampire into taking off the earring. Maybe he couldn’t fake friendship where he had to feign real interest in Taako as a person, but Kravitz felt like he could easily fake something approximating romance. That was a recipe that was two parts lust and one part effort. They already had lust in spades. He’d make damn sure to expend enough effort for Taako to think he actually _cared_. 

Kravitz closed his eyes, smiling to himself. His phone buzzed and he rolled over to check it. It was his bank reminding him about his low balance. He groaned, setting an alarm to wake him up in four hours. That day and the next to prepare for the meeting. He’d need to use his time wisely. 

Bitterly, he remembered that he thought most of his problems would have been fixed by this point. He would have trapped the BoB below the city and put the whole bunch of criminals in plastic ties for the police. Enough money that he wouldn’t need to worry for some time. Anxiety was starting to build in his stomach at the thought that there might not be bounties beyond the BoB in the area. 

His phone buzzed again with a snapchat from Taako, “`Do you have a piercing on your dick?`” 

Kravitz laughed, carefully texting back, “`Yes. An apadravya. Why?`” 

“`Just winning a bet.`” A moment later, “`I had to look that up and I’m finding a lot about how good it feels during sex. You can even put on vibrating beads fuck. Pics or it didn’t happen, handsome.`”

He grinned at his phone screen. Well, he was supposed to be seducing Taako. After a moment of hesitation, he flipped on the lamp and shimmied his sweatpants far enough down to pull his cock out. He sent the snap with the caption, “`I do have some vibrating beads for sex.`”

The reply was swift, “`Woof.`” Kravitz smirked to himself. Then, “`Want a quid pro quo?`”

He had a feeling he was already going to dream of Taako anyway. A picture could only help his imagination. “`Yes.`”

The picture he got back _would_ help. Taako, hand wrapped around his half-hard cock, still in those yellow jeans. 

“`How did you say it? Woof,`” he replied, grinning. Kravitz put his phone down before he let his imagination run too wild. It didn’t take him long to drift off to sleep after he closed his eyes. 

Once again, his mind went to what could have been. Dropping to his knees in front of Taako and taking him into his mouth. Kravitz had always enjoyed pleasing people he liked; Taako moaning his name and pulling his hair would have had anticipation coiling in his stomach even without the promised reward. He would have palmed himself through his pants as Taako got closer. 

He woke up with a start when he realized it would taste like key-lime gogurt. 

It was the second time in as many days his mind had provided a rude awakening. As soon as he sat up, he slapped himself in the face. “Ow! What the fuck,” he snarled, looking at his hand in betrayal. He was sure it was something curse related. 

It made him hate his subconscious more for getting excited about pleasuring the cause of his woes. 

Remembering the necklace Taako gave him, Kravitz pulled it from his jacket he discarded on the chair. Of course, Taako hadn’t told him how to use it. He sent off a text, but the time told him that he’d overslept his alarm and likely wouldn’t hear back from Taako for a few hours. 

He took another unsatisfactory shower, emerging clean shaven and a little ashamed of where his mind had wandered. Scanning through websites with a coffee, he decided to focus on a couple of less dangerous criminals to bring in. They’d pay the bills for a while, but he wondered if he should look for an apartment. Long term, it would be cheaper if he could find a month by month, even including the cost of minimal furniture to function. 

Admitting this was long-term felt like defeat. 

Still, even if it was only a month, it would save him some money. He scanned apartment listings, calling before offices closed. By the time he was done, he had paid on a monthly lease that would be ready for him in a couple days. There was no point in looking in-person; it was a one room apartment with a bathroom and tiny kitchen. He’d be gone in a few months anyway. A few more calls about utilities and he was finished. 

Kravitz started to close his laptop, but hesitated. This was the first permanent address he’d lived at in a long time. It had been years since they’d heard from him. He started on a new email, “`Mom and dad, It’s been a while. …`” After more hesitation, he attached a few pictures from his phone he’d taken while traveling. He reminded himself that things were different now than when he’d left. With that done, Kravitz set out in his car to get his power of attorney from the bail bondsman. 

A text from Taako came through as the sun started to dip between the buildings, “`Squeeze it with a bit of magic.`” Kravitz stopped in the alleyway he was walking down and leaned against a wall. Clearing his throat, he pulled out the necklace from his jacket pocket. He sang a soft, sweet note while holding it close to his mouth. Lights danced around the charm briefly, then sank into it. 

“Assessing,” it said mechanically. It sounded almost like Taako’s voice. “Five curses found. Four the result of magical item located on left earlobe; item can only be removed by equipper. Taste curse, key-lime gogurt variant. Location prevention curse. Glows upon lying. Causes user to inflict minor damage upon themselves once a day. One curse the result of UNKNOWN. Error.”

Well, at least that explained why he’d slapped himself that morning. He hadn’t been expecting the little necklace to comprehend the curse Kravitz came bundled with. Honestly, he was impressed it detected his adolescent mistake at all. 

He text Taako back, “`Thank you.`”

The response was swift, like Taako had been waiting, “`What was it today?`”

“`I slapped myself in the face this morning.`”

“`One a the nicer curses then. Sounds like you had a good day. If you find me later, maybe I can make sure it’s a fantastic day.`”

Kravitz rolled his eyes, smiling, and tucked his phone away. That was something he’d keep in mind. After he finished getting information, maybe he would see what _Taako_ had in mind. 

Not because he looked forward to seeing Taako. 

By around midnight, Kravitz had tackled a man to the ground and cuffed him. He was a half-orc, but luckily didn’t fight too much as Kravitz walked him to the back of his car. Kravitz wasn’t sure he could have won in a battle of pure strength. Surprise and people generally giving up once you had them were his biggest assets.

After depositing the criminal at the county jail, Kravitz considered going back out to collect more information. He hadn’t expected to find the first guy so easily, but he would take what he got. It had been worth enough to cover the apartment he’d set his eyes on and leave him with enough extra to pay everything else down for the month. He’d hit Fantasy Good Will the next day. 

Kravitz remembered his message from Taako. This seemed like a good stopping point, actually. He pulled the his phone out and sent a text to Taako, “`Where are you?`”

“`At the east beach. Only come if you want to feed me.`”

Kravitz read the message twice. He stopped at a gas station to buy a bottle of wine. Then, he quickly made his way to the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I learned way more about dick piercings than I ever wanted.


	7. He Wants to Duet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not quite a quartet.

The bar was loud enough to tune out the mediocre band. Which was what Taako preferred, honestly. He signalled the barman and ordered two drinks. Goth boy was cute and laughed at Taako’s dumb jokes. He was giving Taako every signal that he was about to ask if they should go somewhere more private. That was where the elf had been angling them all night. 

It was exactly what Taako needed. 

Which was why he’d told Kravitz he was hungry. He thought that would keep the hunter away without offending him and messing up the carefully crafted plans for recruitment. Kravitz was so prickly about the biting thing that Taako doubted he’d show his face at all. He needed a break and that was what Brian seemed more than willing to give. 

Of course, there was no correlation between Taako flirting with Brian and Brian’s similarities to Kravitz. 

The barman slid his drinks across the bar and Taako headed back to his seat with a grin. Brian smiled and gave a small wave when he caught sight of Taako, but then leaned back into the conversation he was having with someone in Taako’s seat. Kravitz didn’t even acknowledge Taako, keeping all his attention on Brian. 

“Son of a bitch,” Taako swore, fingers clenching around the wine glasses. Even from afar, he could see how clearly they were flirting. The corners of his lips twitched down as he approached, sliding on the other side of Brian. He eyed Kravitz reproachfully, “You’re in my seat, Kravitz.”

“Welcome back, Taako! I’m glad you seem to know Alli. It saves me the introductions,” Brian said cheerfully. He took the wine with a nod of thanks. Smiling charmingly, Kravitz grabbed Taako’s wine for himself. 

Taako tried to stop him, but couldn’t without leaning into Brian rudely. Based on the flirting that had already happened, he didn’t want to further down his chances. Glaring at Kravitz, he forced himself to smile. “Oh yeah, bubala, we go way back,” he drawled. 

Sipping Taako’s wine, Kravitz leaned an elbow on the table. He swirled the wine in the glass and flashed a grin. It was cute and Taako knew Brian was probably thinking the same. “Well, maybe not so far back, love. ‘S a bit complicated,” he winked. The terrible accent was back and Taako smirked; his chances were better than he thought. “You were tellin’ me ‘bout your band?”

“Oh yes!” Brian enthused, leaning a few degrees closer to Kravitz. 

“You’re in a band?” Taako tapped his fingers along the table. He wasn’t happy Kravitz had gotten that far already. “Gotta say, I love a man who knows his way ‘round an instrument. Always have nimble fingers,” he winked. Laying it on thick, but he wanted to get out of here soon. Besides, it was true. He’d been weak for men who could play something since his first love; a violinist who played him love songs while he lounged naked on a balcony. Taako dragged his mind away from years ago, focusing back on Brian with a smile. 

Brian waved his hand vaguely. “I’m a bit more of a singer myself,” he corrected with the same cheer he’d had all night. “Is that how you and this Alli met, then? The, ah, nimble fingers.” 

Kravitz smirked as Brian gestured between him and Taako. Taako felt his smile dim. Of course they were _both_ musicians. Of course Brian was some type of German rock singer. Of course Kravitz played some type of instrument. That was the kind of night it was rapidly apparent he was having. “Naw, homie,” he said quickly. “I didn’t even know he played anything. Never struck me as the type,” he raised an eyebrow and made a pointed, doubtful look at Kravitz’s hands. 

The insult was brushed off rapidly. “It’s only a hobby,” Kravitz demurred, smiling at Brian. “Nothing like what you do.”

“Oh please,” Brian returned eagerly, genuinely, “I would quite literally commit manslaughter to be able to play all the instruments you can. With such skill! You must give me lessons sometimes, yes? Violin or piano or any of it.” 

Taako snorted in derision. “Weird it never came up if he can play so much,” he murmured. 

“I’d love to give you lessons,” Kravitz went on, ignoring Taako. “One second,” he said politely, pulling his phone out. He slipped it away after a moment and Taako felt his own phone buzz. 

Taako swore Kravitz winked at him. 

“Which instrument do you prefer?” Brian’s eyes were all still on Kravitz. Taako took his phone out and looked at the text. 

“`I thought you’d be better at this.`”

Taako shot Kravitz a glare. If bone boy wanted to compete in the wooing department, he could damn well meet him tick for tack. 

“I started with the violin; my baba plays it. It will always be close to my heart,” Kravitz responded casually, like it wasn’t particularly impressive. 

Taako still wasn’t sure if he was lying. If he wasn’t, then even Taako thought that was kind of sexy. “Brian, my man, you gotta tell us about your singing. Now that you’ve told me, I see it. You have such a wonderful voice,” he said like he was in awe, laying a hand on Brian’s arm. 

Brian turned his attention on Taako, smiling brightly. He took a sip of his wine before replying, “I’d love to show you some of my music sometime. You have a voice like a dream yourself, darling.”

Taako was quite offended at the look of disbelief that crossed Kravitz’s face. 

“I can’t imagine Taako ‘as much of a singin’ voice, love,” Kravitz interjected, corners of his lips twitching as a laugh threatened to bubble over. “His talents lay, well, elsewhere.”

It was an insult, but it sure as hell didn’t feel like one with the way Kravitz’s eyes raked down Taako’s body. There was a heat rising in his cheeks that he forced back. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, forcing a smile, “I’m more of a shower singer, bubala, but maybe you could bring out my best.” He fluttered his eyelashes at Brian. 

Brian had followed Kravitz’s gaze, looking over Taako appreciatively. “Oh, I’d certainly put him at the front of any band, Alli,” he grinned. “Still, with a little bit of work, he could be wonderful.”

“Do you have something in mind, my dude?” Taako smirked, swiping his wine back from Kravitz and taking a sip. “I’m not sure I could compete with you at the front of a band, even with my copious amounts of _talent_ ,” he shot Kravitz a teasing look. 

“Naturally, darling,” Brian replied, leaning in closer to Taako. “All my lessons are private, of course.”

“Of course,” Taako echoed, lips parting as Brian rested a hand on his shoulder. He tilted his head just so, knowing what kind of pretty picture he could make when he wanted. With Brian so close, Taako leaned forward and caught him in a kiss, slipping a hand onto Brian’s thigh. It was bold, but Brian had already been so forward that he doubted it would backfire.

Brian responded eagerly, hand sliding up to Taako’s hair. Taako cracked an eye open to see Kravitz watching with slightly parted lips. He closed his eye again and made it more of a show, turning them so Kravitz could see his loss better. With his free hand, he flipped Kravitz the bird and heard a distant laugh as a response. 

“Well,” Brian enthused, panting as he broke away. He moved his hand to Taako’s cheek, stroking his freckles with a thumb. “You have quite a dextrous mouth. I really do think you have great potential, darling. Still, singing is better with a melody. Perhaps Alli could provide it for us. If he’s still doubtful, you could show him what you showed me.” Brian turned his head to Kravitz with a wink. 

Kravitz froze, looking away awkwardly and clearing his throat. Taako squinted, trying to parse what Brian was implying. The three of them would be -.

Oh. 

“Oh, no no nonono,” Taako exclaimed, waving his hands emphatically. “Taako is a bit of a duet show if you catch my drift.” He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t an appealing thought. His mind briefly flitted over the thought of Kravitz beneath him and Brian behind him. Banishment was an appropriate punishment for that particular, tantalizing thought. 

“Ah, what a shame,” Brian sighed. Taako felt like he agreed, internally where no one could see it. “I suppose I misread this a bit.” Brian motioned between Taako and Kravitz. Turning towards Kravitz, he put a hand on the hunter’s bicep. 

Taako had a sinking feeling he was about to go home alone; even with the kiss. “Uh, actually, Krav,” he said quickly, smiling. “Can I borrow you outside for a sec? I needa smoke and know you won’t lemme borrow your fancy lighter.”

Kravitz looked between Brian and Taako as Taako stood, pulling a cigarette from his purse. “Fine,” the hunter sighed. “I’ll only be a moment,” he winked at Brian. 

“Oh yeah, sure thing. You guys resolve whatever thing this is, yeah?” Brian replied easily. 

Taako winced as he retreated to the smoking area, Kravitz trailing behind. There were a few people here, so Taako lowered his voice as he hissed, “Seriously, Kravitz, what the fuck?”

Kravitz flicked his lighter on and lit Taako’s cigarette. “I wonder,” he smirked, infuriatingly. It made Taako fume more. He took an angry drag and huffed the smoke to the side. 

“You wonder what? Your game is dumb,” he growled, waving his cigarette in Kravitz’s face. 

Laughing, Kravitz leaned against the wall. “You only think that because you’re losing. That kiss was desperate.”

Taako narrowed his eyes. “You seemed to enjoy it, handsome,” he replied, taking another drag. He was smoking it quick, but he was frustrated in more ways than one. “I thought you were tryin’ to seduce me anyway,” he snapped, frustrated. 

Kravitz paused as Taako processed what he’d said. That was stupid. Alcohol made his lips looser and he needed to be more careful. “One,” Kravitz started, “that wasn’t a very good or concrete plan to begin with. Two, I figured out a better way. Three, this is more fun.” He grinned at Taako, leaning into his space. 

Taako took another quick drag just so he could blow the smoke in Kravitz’s face. “I’m never taking your fuckin’ earring off. They’ll bury you in it, handsome, hope your happy,” he swore, glaring. 

“A shame,” Kravitz replied, unflapped. “I decided not to arrest you to keep you as a back-up plan.”

A thrill of fear shot through Taako. He calmed it immediately as he looked over Kravitz’s face. “If you had power of attorney, there’d be seventy bounty hunters lurking around. You don’t have shit,” he said triumphantly, still keeping his voice low. That’s why he’d leaned in so close, so Kravitz could hear him but other people could not. 

“You clearly didn’t think I’d come, either. I’m not sure how you keep your confidence,” Kravitz commented drily. 

Taako held his head up, grinning. “My other _talents_ , bones,” he replied defiantly. Kravitz’s eyes raked down Taako’s ‘talents’ again, saying nothing. Taako had a feeling it was meant to be dismissive, but it wasn’t effective. It made Taako’s grin widen and he preened. 

Kravitz averted his eyes immediately, snorting. “You keep telling yourself that,” he shot back. 

“Why would I when I got you tellin’ me enough, babe?” Taako tittered, taking another drag. 

Kravitz’s lips parted as he grimaced. He looked like he was about to do _something_ , but Taako wasn’t sure what; maybe yell. Still, Taako thought he looked good like that, tense and _hungry_ and wanting something Taako couldn’t put his finger on.

Taako didn’t know who moved first, but he thought the two of them really ought to stop kissing in dark alleyways. More importantly, they needed to stop kissing altogether. Like the night before, he pushed Kravitz against the wall so he had the advantage. Kravitz’s hand tangled in Taako’s hair, pulling him into the sloppy, angry kisses. More teeth than tongues and lips. 

The taste of blood did not help to quell Taako’s hunger. It was what made him pull away when his fangs forcibly slid out. He panted, wondering when Kravitz’s hand had ended up in his back pocket. Taking a drag, he looked at Kravitz from the corner of his eyes. The hunter was similarly out of breath, Taako’s lipstick clear across his lightly bleeding lips. 

He leaned forward and smudged the lipstick away with his thumb. Kravitz watched him warily, lips parting under his touch. Taako paused, then pulled his hand back, licking away the blood he’d picked up. It didn’t matter what it tasted like under Kravitz’s intense gaze. He felt his face warming and finished the cigarette. When he put it out by Kravitz’s head, Kravitz used his hand still in Taako’s back pocket to pull their hips flush. 

“You’re not intimidated by me at all,” he growled, looking up at Taako intently. It was only a couple inches of height difference, but it made Taako feel good. 

Taako laughed and leaned his elbows on the wall, their faces almost touching. “No, no, no,” he grinned. “Look at me, I’m shaking in my designer boots, bubala. You’re super scary.” His hand trailed between their hips, palming Kravitz through his jeans. Kravitz shuddered and bit back a groan. “Especially this. Clearly, you want me,” Taako paused, tracing the outline of Kravitz’s cock. Kravitz squirmed under him. “In jail,” Taako finished, smirking wide. 

Kravitz snorted, rolling his eyes. He put his hand on top of Taako’s, but didn’t move it away. “Maybe I’m enjoying this before I take you away,” he returned, thumb rubbing a circle on Taako’s wrist. It felt almost intimate; Taako pulled his hand away at that thought. 

Kravitz leaned up to whisper in his ear. The breath ghosting along it made Taako’s ears twitch in response. “Thanks for getting me ready for my night with Brian,” Kravitz smirked, freeing himself from under Taako. He went inside without another word. 

“Son of a bitch,” Taako snarled. 

Taako left before he had to acknowledge his defeat. He didn’t stick around, heading straight to his apartment. This was humiliating and infuriating and he _hated_ Brian. 

He meant Kravitz. He hated _Kravitz_. 

Taako ran a bath as soon as he got home. It was a candles and bubbles kind of night. He’d soak away his frustration if he couldn’t get laid. Splashing into the tub, Taako threw on something soft to dial the mood to relax. 

Fucking Brian. 

Getting off was something he could do himself. Taako didn’t need anyone else to distract himself from the soft ache of hunger after the third day without blood. Nope, he was a one man wonder show when it came to feeling good. 

He relaxed against the tub and took himself in hand, giving a few strokes. Summoning his repository of pretty faces, Taako imagined a handsome man sitting between his legs. A man to reach down and touch him. 

Taako reached out of the tub now that he was hard. He picked up his wand and cast Bigby’s hand. It wrapped around his cock and swiped a thumb over the head. He closed his eyes to imagine tall, dark and handsome doing this to him. 

There was no fucking around. Right down to business of giving Taako exactly what he wanted. Hard and fast, sending him to the edge quickly. It almost hurt and he squeezed harder with Bigby’s hand. His grip tightened on the sides of the tub. 

He wanted it to hurt a little. Just a little. Taako couldn’t decide if the man would whisper sweet nothings or tell Taako about how much he wanted the elf. He settled on the dirty talk, whimpering at the delicious words, “I need you inside me, love. _Please_ , Taako.” His fangs slid free as he groaned. That didn't normally happen, but he was too close to care. This was exactly how he thought it would happen. Then, his man leaned down and kissed Taako tenderly, stealing his breath with the sweetness. 

Taako spilled himself into Kravitz’s hand, toes curling and moaning his name. 

His eyes popped open and he immediately had regrets. He got out of the tub and steadfastly refused to think about it. There were things Taako only admitted to himself. 

Getting off on Kravitz begging to be fucked in that stupid, fake accent was not one of those things. 

He tried to retract his fangs, but it took a few minutes. It made him wince when they went back in. Much longer until supplies came and he wouldn't be able to leave his apartment.

After only a moment of hesitation, Taako picked up a bottle of wine from his kitchen. Drinking to forget sounded like a good idea. About halfway through the bottle, watching re-runs of _I Love Lucy_ sounded like a better idea. When he finished the second, texting Kravitz a piece of his mind sounded like a _great_ idea. 

“`Good thng its a one (1) night stand. No one could stand u for longer.`”

“`You r not even tht hot. May be a 5/7.`”

“`He’ll regret u in the morn. Any1 sane wold.`”

“`Date is canceled. Jst like ur face.`”

“`liiiiiisten u hve a dmb face is wht im sayin`”

That done, Taako passed out on his couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I like.... died. Blame a fifteen dollar chair at Goodwill.


	8. Heartbroken Waffles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chit chat the morning after.

The dream was sweeter than the ones that had come the last few days. Cuddling against Taako, dozing even in his dream, and soaking in the warmth. Kravitz came to awareness slowly, blinking. For a minute, he was alarmed when he realized he didn’t know where he was. Still, he was warm and comfortable with an arm around his middle. He glanced behind himself to see Brian snoring lightly. 

The cuddling hadn’t been a conversation so much as a conclusion. Kravitz was privately glad that Brian was a cuddler. It was, well, _nice_ ; something he was sorely lacking in his life. He reached over to his phone, trying not to wake Brian up. By his estimation, it was right before sunrise, dawn threatening the horizon with her wake. Whenever he was sleeping regularly, he started getting up about that time.

With the birds. 

He noticed he had five text messages from Taako. Reading over them, he had to stifle his laughter by putting his hand over his mouth. It seemed Taako had spent his night drinking and bitter. The text messages were almost cute. A thought struck him that if Taako was drunk enough to think texting him was a good idea, he might have been drunk enough not to hide from the sun. 

Kravitz may have lied when he told Taako he had a better plan. At this point, he only knew one way to get the earring off. After hesitating, Kravitz carefully extracted himself from Brian’s warm arms and tiptoed to the living room. 

It took three calls before Taako, obviously having been woken up and still drunk, answered, “Wha -?”

“Taako, are you somewhere with no sun?” Kravitz spoke carefully. 

There was angry grumbling and groaning on the other side. “I cancelled you, homie,” Taako slurred. “Don’ wake me up.”

Holding in a laugh, Kravitz persisted, “Look around, are there any windows?”

“Mm,” Taako grunted. After a moment, Kravitz heard rapid rustling. “Oh fuck, dawn.” He heard a thump, a small crash, then Taako swearing somewhat distantly. “Okay, okay, I closed the curtain,” Taako mumbled when he returned. 

“Okay, I’m going to hang up now and go back to Brian,” Kravitz replied carefully. 

“Man, _fuck_ Brian,” Taako snorted. 

Kravitz paused, wondering if he should try to save some of Taako’s dignity for him. “I did do that, Taako,” he said instead. “Weren’t _you_ trying to fuck Brian?”

“Yeah,” Taako giggled, starting to drift off. “Yeah, I _did_! He reminds me of you, handsome. Wouldn’t ever tell you that so I’m going to hang up now.”

Kravitz blinked down at his blank phone screen. He hoped Taako remembered the conversation whenever he woke up to go about his day. Still, that was a valuable piece of information to smuggle away. 

He stepped carefully back into the bedroom, finding Brian awake. “Sorry to eavesdrop, darling,” Brian mumbled, gesturing to his long ears. “Hard not to. I don’t mind your accent is fake, Alli.” Kravitz laughed awkwardly, but Brian held out his arms. He returned to the warmth, soaking in the intimate contact while he still could. “Do you want to get up, more sleep, or more sex? Any of these, I am fine with,” Brian murmured into Kravitz’s hair. 

“At this point, I won’t be able to sleep again,” Kravitz replied, not sure what he wanted. Normally, this was the point where he slunk back to his motel room. He was starting to get the idea that Brian had just gotten out of a relationship. Playing surrogate wasn’t so bad if it meant he didn’t have to worry about figuring out where he’d thrown his pants for a while longer. They’d done something of a tour of Brian’s apartment the night before. “A shower? Together, I mean.” Brian grinned in response.

It had been a long time since Kravitz had enjoyed _that_ particular luxury. He borrowed one of Brian’s shirts and relaxed on the couch. Brian was busy in the kitchen, having insisted on making breakfast before he’d let Kravitz go. Kravitz watched, quietly enjoying what it felt like to be domestic. There’d been a time when he thought he’d settle, but that had been a long time ago. A long time before even all that happened in New Orleans. 

Afterwards, it was no longer a real option. 

That was what he thought, anyway. Now, his mother regularly emailed him about what was happening back home. The emails often went on to ask if Kravitz wasn’t thinking of coming back soon. He wasn’t, but, like his brother, that hadn’t changed in over forty years. If his brother had been upset by Kravitz holding hands with another man, he was sure there would be some colorful words for Kravitz watching his one night stand cooking waffles and bacon in only an apron.

He was quite happy where he was; where he was happened to be at least a day’s drive from Queens Hill at any given time. 

Kravitz sipped his key-lime gogurt coffee and flipped through emails on his phone. One of his old friends had gotten back to him with notes on Taako’s case. He’d have to look at that later, when he had the capacity and caffeine to process it properly. It was already a weird enough case with the mental hoops the detectives had jumped through to reach their conclusion. His thumb hovered over the email and he couldn’t stop himself from clicking on it curiously.

He was almost starting to think Taako really was innocent. Still, there was no evidence to point that way. It could be argued they simply cut corners on an open and shut case. Kravitz decided to flip through some of the scene photos, pausing on a few while he held his coffee close to his face. They were gruesome photos of an absolute slaughter. Working in Louisiana had put Kravitz on many vampire related cases. This felt too _clean_ for a bloodthirsty one. Kravitz glanced over the court notes, looking for Taako’s age. Only young vampires went bloodthirsty without a mental breakdown. 

The defense had presented evidence of Taako being at least five hundred years old in the form of an old captain’s log. It described a vampire fitting Taako’s description appearing on the deck of the ship to ask sailors questions. By the description of the questions, Kravitz was going to guess this had, in fact, been flirting. It had also, apparently, been a distraction to steal a hull full of gold. 

This needed to be for later, not when he was trying to enjoy a nice morning with a cute guy. He closed the email and marked it as unread. 

Brian brought out two plates of food, setting them on the coffee table. He left again and came back with a cup of tea, lounging against Kravitz’s side. “Tell me what you think,” Brian told Kravitz, waving his fork between bites. 

Kravitz smiled and relaxed, eating the food. It tasted like key-lime gogurt. “It’s good,” he replied cheerfully. Today was, thankfully, not a day for forced truth. It made him worry about what today’s curse was. 

Brian smiled back brightly. “This was something I used to make for -,” he cut himself off, frowning down at his plate. He set it aside suddenly and picked up his tea, sipping it slowly. 

That was sort of what Kravitz expected. He wondered if he should let it go or ask. Brian had been nice and was obviously lonely. “Has it been long? I don’t mean to be rude, but if you want to talk,” he trailed off softly. 

Brian set aside his tea and covered his face as he burst into tears. 

Well, that wasn’t good. Kravitz grimaced and set his own plate down, wrapping his arms around Brian in a hug. He wasn’t sure where to put his hands to make this more of a comforting hug considering Brian had left the apron in the kitchen. “It’ll be okay?” Kravitz asked softly. He paused awkwardly when Brian started crying harder. 

“No! No, it won’t,” Brian sobbed, turning into Kravitz’s side. “I’m sorry! I am sorry, this must be so awkward, I’m -. This is -. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay?” Kravitz rubbed Brian’s shoulder. Then, it turned into more of a pat. 

“It’s my own bad fault that he is -. My liebling,” Brian cried into Kravitz’s chest.

Kravitz froze, looking around the room like tasteful art or the tarantula watching them from its enclosure could help him. “Is he -? Did he die?” 

“What?” Brian sat back, confused, tears still trickling down his face. “No, he is -. He left me because I -. We were supposed to be wed in a few weeks and I ask him to stop working so much, but he loves his job and -.” It was back to the crying in an instant, collapsing against Kravitz’s chest. 

“Uhm,” Kravitz replied, continuing to pat his back. This seemed to work; Brian calmed down by degrees, pulling away and wiping his face. 

“I’m very sorry,” Brian apologized. “Wow, that was embarrassing. Ah, oh no, the waffles are probably cold.” He sniffed and rubbed at his face. Turning, he watched Kravitz out of the corner of his eyes, laughing awkwardly. “You were nice. Thank you.”

Kravitz smiled encouragingly. “You mentioned he worked a lot. Is he an officer or doctor? Sometimes we - they get consumed by work,” he offered. 

Brian shook his head. “My fiancee - ex-fiancee, he works for Spectre Solutions. They’re, you know, it’s a lot of work. He does HR, his job is trying to get all of their scientists to work together nicely.” He looked at his hands. “We met because I was a tester for a potion. I’m a Jorōgumo,” he looked up at Kravitz, head held high and eyes challenging. “It keeps me from turning into a spider if I get surprised.”

Kravitz had worn that look before. He averted his eyes. “The potions I brought in last night were because it’s getting colder. My attention span, too,” he mumbled, awkwardly. 

Realization dawned on Brian’s face. “Oh, I see,” he said quietly. After a beat of silence, he put a hand on Kravitz’s cheek. “Danke.” 

Kravitz shifted, looking up and clearing his throat. “Were you two together long?” Brian nodded in understanding, leaning back against Kravitz’s chest.

They continued talking softly, curled onto the couch as their mugs cooled. Kravitz let Brian voice all his loneliness and frustration. Brian pulled a blanket out and they relaxed in the sun. It was early in the afternoon when Kravitz finally pulled on his pants while Brian watched from the little nest they’d made on the couch. 

“Brian, I had a good time,” Kravitz smiled. “I’m only in town for another month or two, but, “ he paused, licking his lips, ”would you like to do this again sometime?”

Brian’s face lit up. “Of course, I thought I’d scared you off with the cuddling, much less the crying. As far as sex goes, well, I’m quite jealous of your boyfriend. Are you sure he’s okay with us seeing each other again?”

Kravitz stopped buttoning his shirt. “Boyfriend?”

“He said his name was Taako, right?” Brian waved a hand vaguely. After watching Kravitz’s offended face, he frowned. Then, he laughed and looked away. “Oh, nevermind. I said nothing,” he snickered. 

Annoyed, Kravitz continued buttoning his shirt. “There’s nothing there,” he said defensively.

“Oh, of course,” Brian replied, grinning. “Yes, I believe you one hundred percent.”

“If we were together, why would we both have been hitting on you?” Kravitz asked crossly. It was more of a rhetorical question. 

Brian grinned, sprawling out across the couch. “I am very good looking. Besides that, I thought it was a sex game. To each, his own,” he laughed.

Kravitz finished buttoning his shirt and picked up the bag he brought in. He had an insistence about the lack of _something_ with Taako on the tip of his tongue. “I look forward to your next day off,” he said instead. 

Brian nodded, leaning up to kiss Kravitz on the cheek. “Of course, darling, I look forward to it, too. We didn’t quite get the angle right on the desk, so that would be fun to try again.” 

“Goodbye,” Kravitz laughed as he headed out the door with a small wave. 

“Goodbye,” Brian echoed, soft and warm and hard to leave. Kravitz paused outside the door, taking a breath. Only an idiot left a man like that for _work_.

The rest of the afternoon was spent chasing the pieces of Taako’s case that never quite added up.


	9. Ashen Sky; Lightning Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dust to dust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you check out the last chapter!

In the hazy morning, light barely filtered through the dust caked to every surface. The outline of a man shadowed the window, holding a cup of water that had long evaporated. In the background played a parade of newscasters across a black and white screen. 

“Do we even know the effects of these drugs?” 

He took a breath and the dust became chaos, a storm of time passed. 

“If it can help these monsters live normal lives, isn’t that enough?”

A hand went to the window, smearing a line of dawn across himself and the room. 

“They need more rigorous testing and competition. This can’t continue as it is.”

The ravens perched outside cawed at him menacingly, glaring from their places. 

“Besides that, Spectre Solutions _needs_ to respond to the allegations. If what he says is true -.”

The dawn disappeared under the storm collecting in the sky. 

“Are you going to believe that nut job? He’s on trial for the murder of _forty_ people!”

Lightning shot through the room, nothing reflecting under their forms of dust. 

“There’s no evidence that he did it.”

Except the teeth. The teeth shining between the dust. 

“You’re really going to say that it was -!”

He pulled his hand back and snapped his fingers. A gurgle echoed from the television.

“Someone call 911!”

The channel changed to the ravens cawing outside. A woman sat on the ledge, draped for mourning and waiting. The dust returned to its place and nothing stirred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look there's been a real plot this whole time. Who'd've thunk.


	10. Coin Toss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day-to-day that leads to something else.

The dream was predictable. Taako’s hand sliding down Kravitz’s pants, Brian kissing the nape of his neck. This was what he wanted. He leaned back to kiss Brian, imitating the real kiss in the bar. Brian was a new addition, but he’d been dreaming about Kravitz for days. 

Every night since Kravitz had approached him during standard reconnaissance. Taako didn’t want to think about that. 

The scene shifted, to a balcony he knew well. Kravitz sat his violin aside and wrapped his arms around Taako on the lounge. The song kept playing as they kissed, Kravitz’s whispers making his ears twitch and his face hot. He twisted his fingers into Kravitz’s hair, smiling against Kravitz’s cheek. Kravitz relaxed against his chest and they lay there, beneath the moonlight. This was perfect, but something seemed wrong. 

Taako pulled back, putting his hand on the side of Kravitz’s neck. This wasn’t a memory Kravitz belonged in. No, this was a memory for someone else. Kravitz looked up suddenly, seeming confused. Taako’s stomach dropped under that all too familiar look. “Who are you?” He asked, recoiling from Taako as if burned. 

Taako woke up with a start, blinking away the tears in the corners of his eyes. No point thinking about something like _that_. He looked down at his hands, then forced himself off the couch to his bedroom. Lup or Barry would be up and back from spending the night closer to the labs before too long and they didn’t need to know he’d spent the night drinking. He decided he’d go into work and hide in his lab.

Yawning, he pulled on a robe and sat on the chair in his bedroom to flip through his phone. It was only six o’clock, which made him grumble to himself. Too early to even pull the curtains back from the windows, much less be awake. His fingers froze when he saw the texts he had sent to Kravitz. The conversation from that morning’s phone call flooded back to him, as if to remind him what an absolute idiot he was. He groaned and leaned his head onto the back of the chair, staring at the ceiling. 

“Never drinkin’ again,” he mumbled to himself, tossing his phone on his bed. Taako piled into the shower, hoping to wash away both the awful night previous and the tear stains. 

Dreaming of Kravitz in place of Benny felt like a cardinal sin. Taako’s hands paused in his hair, staring at the water running down the tiles. He dropped his hands to his side and leaned his forehead against the cool tile, squeezing his eyes shut. The water sprayed against his back until it was cold. Grudgingly, he finished washing his hair and finally shut off the shower. 

There was time to think on this later. 

Back in his room, he took his time dressing. Taako put on a suit, not in the mood to walk around the lab in heels all night. He didn’t bother with the tie or jacket, knowing he’d lose them at some point anyway. After a smattering of make-up and throwing his hair up, Taako made his way downstairs. The elevator was late, but it always was. 

“Good eve - morning,” Avi greeted cheerfully. “You’re earlier than usual.”

“Yanno, evening is still evening for vampires, Avocado,” Taako yawned, covering his mouth. 

Avi grinned and pressed the buttons so the bubble sank into the floor. “With the bags under your eyes, it isn’t,” he snickered, then stopped and looked embarrassed. “Shoot, sorry buddy, I forgot about the blood shortage for a moment.”

Taako shrugged indifferently, glancing at his phone for the time. “I got through the fashion choices of the nineties, Avant Garde,” he replied dismissively. “What’s a little blood loss?” Avi laughed as the door opened and Taako grinned back, heading towards the lab. “See ya at lunch, bubala.”

“Please don’t make sushi again,” Avi called after him.

Really, Taako had no idea what it was with werepeople and fish. He was starting to walk past his office when a voice called out to him, “Taako.”

He stopped in his tracks, reversing back and leaning into the doorframe. Julia was sitting at his desk, looking at him patiently. That was, in his exhaustive experience, _never_ a good sign. “Hey there, Crown Jewels,” he greeted nervously, flashing her a smile. 

“Why don’t you have a seat, Taako,” she said pleasantly. “Close the door.”

Alarm bells and sirens went off in Taako’s head. “I have this thing that I should -.”

“The door,” she interrupted. 

Taako considered slamming the door and stalking off, but knew that would end in more trouble long-term. He closed the door and sat down in the plush visitor seat on the wrong side of his own desk. “What up, my dude?” He asked, kicking his feet onto the desk. 

“Macallister Iados ‘The Reaper’ Kravitz,” Julia replied simply. “Intel said you had contact last night.”

He rolled his eyes and twirled a lock of hair loose at his temple. “Mhm, sure did. He made off with the dude I was tryin’ to bone down with, Jelly Bean,” he said with more than a hint of annoyance. 

Julia glared across the desk at him. “You were off hours, Taako. Why didn’t you press your button?” 

Taako waved his bracelet at her vaguely. “This old thing? Listen, Jewel Bear, I had it handled. Intel probably told you I had him against a wall with my hand over his crotch. I know, for sure, Carey did _not_ enjoy that show,” he grinned, relaxing in the chair. 

“Taako, Kravitz is extremely dangerous. You _cannot_ be so _careless_ ,” Julia growled, tapping the desk with a claw. 

Taako sat up straighter, eyes drawn to her claws. “You’re, uh, really fired up about this,” he said quietly. 

Julia’s shoulders went up defensively. “Of course I’m fired up about this, Taako! I argued for hours with Magnus and The Director not to send you on this - on this _suicide mission_ to recruit this guy,” she shouted, her arms bristling with fur. Taako cringed back into the chair, clinging to either arm. His eyes darted to the door, fangs out and feet firmly on the ground. “You didn’t even file a report when you got back! Of all the stupid -! Did you even hear what happened to Lucas?!” She stopped all at once, she closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. The fur disappeared from her face and her teeth returned to normal. “Taako,” she said more plainly, “I don’t want you to get hurt.” She paused, folding her hands on the desk. Taako stared back unblinkingly. “I’m sorry I yelled,” she apologized softly.

“Heh,” Taako tittered nervously, clearing his throat. He forced his fangs back and blinked rapidly until he felt his eyes return to normal. After a moment of her staring at him, concerned, he plastered on a smile. “No big one, compadre.” He unstuck his claws from the chair, hating that he’d have to cut them again. 

“No, I shouldn’t let it get the better of me,” she sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I’m trying to stop you from getting hurt, not scare you into kitten eyes, Taako.” She unfolded and folded her hands on the desk, looking down. “No distress signal to Lup, right? I’d prefer her not knocking down a door. Magnus would make me fix it.”

Taako laughed breathily, checking his wrists. He could see lighter stripes of color appearing, but they weren’t vivid enough that Lup would have felt the sickening press of danger. “We’re gucci, stress lines ain’t that deep,” he answered with a fake, casual tone. 

“But they are there,” she said quietly, her face falling. 

Waving his hand vaguely, Taako leaned his elbows on the desk. “Look, Jelly Bear, don’t even. Vampires are scaredy cats,” he said dismissively, waving his hands. It was easier to unwind his urge to freeze or flee by reassuring her he was fine. He wasn’t, but she didn’t need to know that. No, he wanted to know what had prompted her to say something about his only real sign of Kravitz’s heart. “What happened to Lucas?” 

Julia took another deep breath, sitting back in the chair. “Same night you went out for your mission, Kravitz cornered Lucas in an alleyway,” she said neutrally. He could see the lines of fury and worry warring on her face despite the detached tone; it made Taako’s stomach flutter with anxiety. “Refused to let him leave and took Lucas’s water. Told Lucas to answer his questions and that he was looking for a reason to get to tell a jury that everything he could do to Lucas was self-defense.”

A merman on land without water was dead. Taako looked down at his desk, drumming his claws along it. “And Lucas answered,” he said simply, licking his lips. 

“He thought he was going to _die_ , Taako. By the time he gave in, he was gasping and begging for water. When he got back to base, he told Maureen everything and had a nervous breakdown. Maureen is working the med-bay until he recovers,” Julia sighed, crossing her arms. 

“Where was Intel? Aren’t they taggin’ Kravitz?” Taako frowned, fingers stilling along the wood. 

Julia shook her head. “He figured out he was being watched the first night we sent agents. He’s been evading them,” she growled, huffing in annoyance. 

A realization struck Taako. His eyes flashed up to Julia, setting both his palms flat on the desk. Julia also seemed to realize what she’d revealed; she touched her temple with one hand and closed her eyes. “What I do in my off hours is my business,” he winked, giving her a thin smile and leaning forward as he stood. “Up to and includin’ Macallister Iados ‘The Reaper’ Kravitz.” He shoved back from the desk, turning towards the door.

“Don’t you _dare_ try to evade Intel. They’re there for your protection,” Julia warned, laying her head on the desk in exasperation. “You’re flirting with death, Taako.”

Taako turned and gave a mock, two-fingered salute. “Already dead, major,” he smirked. He fled before she could start yelling again, grabbing his lab coat along the way. Still, Kravitz’s interaction with Lucas didn’t bode well. He had been banking on Kravitz not wanting to break the law, but Lucas had no bounties; he stayed with the Bureau because of Maureen. It meant Kravitz was much more unpredictable than they had thought.

He shut down that line of thought for the fear he felt running along his spine. Last night could have gone bad and there he was, groping a man who probably knew dozens of ways to kill him. He pushed the pin pad and swung the lab doors open. It was empty, as he expected. This was _his_ lab, a small area for him to rail at and study magic. 

That’s exactly what Taako did. Instead of thinking or feeling, he simply worked with the magic he had nearby. He was good at this, he could find the limitations and loopholes of magic. Even before he’d been sitting on death row, the Bureau had tried to recruit him and Lup for their expertise. Lup had joined, but Taako had thrown himself into his cooking show. He’d had more important things to do besides making other people feel good. 

Afterwards, it was no longer a real choice.

Now, he was assigned to one of the most fascinating artifacts they’d ever found. The Light of Creation; a fancy name for a ball of nearly formless light. It was isolated to his lab after they’d discovered it had a subtle effect on the living. This area of the labs was only worked by the dead which the Light couldn’t or didn’t effect. Taako was studying its transformative effects on a group of rats that was at the stage of erecting statues to their god. It was a promising start to their bronze age no matter how annoyed he was that all the depictions of him came with a tiny clipboard. 

The rats’ language had been easy enough to decode with some effort. He was taking notes on the last round of recorded conversations, mostly about art and music given that the rats didn’t need to work, when Noelle poked her head into the lab. 

“Taako, c’mon, it’s time to make some grub,” she called cheerfully. 

Taako blinked up from his clipboard, surprised that time had passed so quickly. “Comin’,” he answered, waving her off. He finished writing down his thought and set things aside, heading out to the kitchens. Lunch was quick and simple. He made steaks with leftovers from a board meeting. Food, of course, tasted bland. It was the worst, in Taako’s humble opinion, symptom of blood starvation. He picked at it with his fork as he listened to the conversations around him. Nothing particularly interesting as far as gossip went. 

When he returned to his lab, he noticed the Light had moved. It gave off resentful energy as he pushed it around in its little cage. “Yeah, yeah,” he told it coldly. “If you stopped moving around, I wouldn’t have to touch you. Keep that in mind next time you decide to roll around like a maniac, my guy,” he complained as he situated it back into the center and locked it again. As he started to pull back his hand, it gave off a pulse of energy that felt incredibly _lonely_. 

Taako squinted at it suspiciously, noting the event on his data sheet. “What? Do you want me to keep talking to you?” Its light seemed to flicker lower. Taako started to close the window to the enclosure when it flared brightly. The rats gathered in a circle below the suspended cage and dropped to their knees in prayer. Well, this was new. 

He hummed as he jotted some notes down. “You’re a floating orb of energy. You don’t even have ears, homie,” he said pointedly. It flickered to a low light again, burning just inside its core so he saw the edges of its physical form. Taako noticed, for only a moment, something that looked like a crack.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, snatching his attention away. A message from Kravitz, “`Meet me somewhere. I want to ask you questions.`” Taako pushed loose hair back from his face and paced over to an empty counter. Checking the time, it was close to three in the morning, but he hadn’t notice how long he’d been in the labs at all. 

This was danger he didn’t need. He closed the enclosure as he looked down at his phone, leaving the light to continue its pouting. The reply of _no_ was a quick and easy way to get out of this. Instead, he typed out, “` Come find me.`” 

Avi had taken his break and Jenkins didn’t like Taako. The elevator ride to the top was thankfully silent.

Taako sat on a bench not far from the Bureau; across the path was another bench. The perfect place to have this kind of conversation. He fiddled with his phone while he waited, checking Fantasy Twitter to see Lup was enjoying her day off with Barry. 

Kravitz had, so far, never made him wait long. He approached Taako through the grass, pausing and putting a hand to his head when his foot hit the path. Taako winked from his position, safely inside the perimeter where Kravitz’s mind would turn to static from the curse. Glaring at Taako, he looked around and noticed the park bench. He sat down and called Taako. 

Taking out his phone, Taako smirked as he showed Kravitz him hanging up the call. There was a pause as Kravitz blinked down at his blank screen, brow creasing. He eyed Taako across the way and swiped his phone again. Yawning, Taako hung up and checked his phone for the time. Kravitz stood up and walked over to the path as far as he could go, arms crossed. “Taako, I’d rather not shout this conversation at you,” he growled, voice raised slightly. 

Taako acted like he noticed Kravitz out of the corner of his eye, leaning forward with a hand cupped to his ear. “What?” He shouted, indicating his ear. “I can’t quite hear you.” 

Kravitz paced along the perimeter, fingers pressed to his temple and lips in a thin line. Calculating, Taako thought, was the best way to describe how he looked at Taako. It was intense and utterly focused. Frankly, within the safety of the perimeter, Taako wouldn’t mind being the object of that look all day. He laid back on the bench, watching with a lazy grin. Kravitz stopped pacing and retreated to his bench. 

This was a game and he’d decided to enter the playing field. Taako wondered how far he could push Kravitz and which version he’d find on the other side. There was a man in a report and a man who liked to dance and somehow neither seemed like the man in front of him. 

Kravitz glared and flipped Taako the bird as he called again. This time, Taako let his ringtone play all the way out. It was ‘Uptown Funk’ by Bruno Mars and he was perfectly willing to jam to that beat for a while. He grinned at Kravitz as he mouthed along to the lyrics. Fortunately, Kravitz didn’t seem to share his sentiments; his expression darkened by degrees with each ring. 

Two more times, Taako listened to his ringtone as Kravitz tried to call. It was the third time where he got bored and simply hung up. Even from a distance, Taako could see some malicious thought pass over Kravitz’s face. He set aside his phone, rubbing his temples and breathing deeply. 

“Fucking asshole,” he mumbled, obviously to himself. Taako thought it was cute that he either didn’t know or had momentarily forgotten how keen his hearing was. It made the whole thing funnier, too. Kravitz tried again, staring at Taako with twitching lips as he tried to hide his displeasure. 

Taako hung up, barely glancing at his phone. 

“I swear to Our Lady if you don’t pick up your damn phone -,” Kravitz snapped, standing up, one arm crossed and the other holding his phone as he angrily dialed Taako again. 

Taako’s finger hovered over the answer button for a few seconds. Kravitz opened his mouth like he was ready to start yelling as soon as Taako picked up. Taako ended the call. 

Kravitz swiped an empty water bottle from the ground and hurled it at Taako. It rattled onto the path, rolling to a stop by Taako’s bench. They both stared at it. Taako flicked his eyes up at Kravitz who was grimacing at the bottle. He lost it, rolling his back to Kravitz. When he started making ugly snorts, he covered his face to try to muffle them enough Kravitz wouldn’t hear. 

Composing himself, Taako rolled his head back to look at Kravitz. He still looked annoyed, but there were traces of something else. After a beat of silence between them, Kravitz tried dialing Taako again. Taako picked up his phone like he might answer, then tossed it over the back of the bench. At this, he watched as something in Kravitz seemed to break. 

Kravitz threw down his phone and pulled out a handful of coins from his pockets, hurling them one by one at Taako. Pennies and quarters clattered onto the path or back of the bench as Taako guffawed into his hands. “Fuck you, fucking vampire fuck!” Kravitz swore, a penny smacking into the leg of the bench. 

“Why do you have such bad aim?” Taako shouted between giggles. 

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t sign up for Garbage Tossing 101 at the academy, asshole,” Kravitz shouted back, making another rude gesture at Taako. Out of loose change, he seethed and started pacing. 

Before he could get too far in hatching a revenge scheme, Taako used mage hand to retrieve his phone. He held it out delicately and looked up. Kravitz hesitated, looking at Taako suspiciously. Slowly, he held his phone up and called. 

Snickering, Taako finally picked it up and held it to his ear, “Hello, yes, this is Taako speaking.” 

“You’re a piece of shit and I hate you,” Kravitz grumbled, putting an ankle on his knee as he sat back. 

“I’m sorry, to whom would I be speaking to?” Taako asked pleasantly, fluttering his lashes and looking at his nails. 

Kravitz slowly sat his phone aside on the bench and sang the clearest note Taako had ever heard. For a moment, he thought he must have been imagining it. A shaky mage hand flickered in front of his face before smacking into the bench ineffectively. “Shit,” Kravitz swore, glaring as it disappeared. Taako blinked a few times, then realized Kravitz had been trying to hit him with it. 

Taako tried to stop the laughter as Kravitz resentfully picked the phone back up. “Holy shit, my dude,” Taako wheezed, covering his mouth to try to stop the laughter. “How is anyone scared of you?”

“I - I’m better with an element of surprise,” Kravitz answered defensively, fingers drumming along the bench’s arm. “Will you answer my fucking questions already?” 

“Istus, with that gods damn comedy routine, you earned it, handsome,” Taako snickered, relaxing back on the bench. He stopped as a thought occurred to him, holding up a finger to Kravitz. There were things he needed to know. “Wait, I got some questions for you, too. Quid pro quo it?” 

Kravitz looked incredibly annoyed. “Fine.” Tone to match the expression, too. 

Taako wondered if Kravitz knew how incredibly easy he was. “Right, right, I’ll go first. Can you really play the violin or was that like the accent? Yanno, more fake bullshit to impress people?”

Rolling his eyes, Kravitz stopped tapping his fingers. “Yes, I can really play the violin. The piano, the cello, the saxophone, you put an instrument in front of me and I’ll figure it out. The violin is my home, it’s what I always return to,” he murmured, glancing away. “Well, it was when I still played. Fantasy Spotify is as close to music as I get these days.” Something in his voice reminded Taako of the lonely pulse from the Light. “Do you really think you’re innocent?” He looked up at Taako, turning from the night sky. 

The question caught Taako off guard; Kravitz stared back impassively. It was sort of a stupid question, if Taako was any judge. “Yes. Duh, my dude. Do you remember a bounty you let go named Maureen Miller?” This was the real question he wanted to ask. 

Kravitz paused, nodding slowly. “If you mean a merperson with a son who would be, oh, a little over thirty now, yes. Intelligent and resourceful; one of the hardest bounties I ever hunted,” he reminisced, putting his ankle on his knee casually. If Taako was being honest, he hadn’t thought Kravitz would answer so readily or _fondly_. “Did you think you were innocent immediately after you were arrested?”

Ah, so Kravitz had thrown him a softball like Taako had tossed him. This was really the point of inquiry. Taako had been in many interrogations, he knew the best policy was to say nothing and state everything. “No,” he admitted softly, momentarily surprised by his own honesty. Still, he had already been sentenced to death for Glamour Springs. Kravitz couldn’t do anything with the information he gave now. “I had food poisoning from the meal I prepared on set. Probably because one of the interns left the chicken out too long before taping. I threw it out, of course, and left the after-party with the stuff I’d made that morning. But I went to my dressing room to try to sleep it off. When I woke up, I was covered in blood and missing hours of time. It was confusing, I was still sick when they arrested me. I couldn’t think very well and with all the police yelling at me, I started to think -,” he cut himself off and looked at the sky. “The answer is no, I didn’t think I was innocent for a _while_ , handsome. Why did you let Maureen go?”

There was a moment of awful silence where Kravitz sat upon his seat and watched Taako. Finally, Kravitz spoke quietly, “I’m not a good person, Taako. I’m a bit of an asshole.” Taako was surprised enough by that response to laugh, looking over at Kravitz who gave him a half-smile. “I used to say I joined the police because I wanted to be a good person, but that’s not true. The truth, Taako, is that I wanted the power to enforce what was right,” he tapped his index finger along the bench, looking off distantly. “Sometimes, the law isn’t right; what Maureen did was. As a police officer, I didn’t have a choice but to arrest people like Maureen. As a freelancer? I’m not a judge, but I’ll be damned if I arrest someone who is innocent of any real crime.” He looked at Taako intently, finger stilling. 

Taako felt a shiver run down his spine. It was a kind of conviction he’d seen drown many men, but Kravitz seemed to know the siren’s song trying to dash him against the rocks. There was an alluring element in chasing only the right without the illusion of doing good. He wasn’t a man someone could shake with morality, but could dissuade with reason. That realization made Taako find Kravitz more terrifying. 

More terrifying and _attractive_. 

Kravitz interrupted Taako’s thoughts with his question, “Did you love Sazed?”

Taako looked back up at the sky, looking at the moon. It was a beautiful night they were ignoring for this conversation. He moved the phone away from his mouth to take a breath. “My first love was a violinist,” he said softly. Kravitz sat up straighter, listening with that same absolute focus he’d shown Taako all night. “He lived above me and would play his violin on the balcony as the sun went down every single night,” he let some of the annoyance sound in his voice. “I hated him. Who wants to wake up at five or six? I’m more of a nine o’clock fella myself, handsome,” he grinned, playing with a lock of hair idly. “One night, I climbed up the stairs and pounded on his door, shouting, ‘Stop playing your gods damn violin!’ Of course, he didn’t hear me. So I climbed up to his balcony,” he laughed, Kravitz echoing it on his end of the line. 

“He said he fell in love with me then and there. Instead of playing all afternoon, he’d play all night for me,” Taako went on, smiling to himself. He let his expression drop, tracing the lines in the wood on the back of the bench as he rolled away. “Eventually, he grew old and he - he forgot me. Most of the time. I stayed, he was still Benny; of course, I stayed. Until it was over,” he whispered, not caring if Kravitz heard him. “Last breath and he told me to stop crying because it made me look ugly and he needed my beautiful face for all the symphonies he’d write for me while he waited,” Taako clenched his jaw. He’d told this story so many times that he’d stopped crying long ago. It was a good memory, the one that mattered. 

This wasn’t a memory for Kravitz.

Kravitz didn’t laugh, waiting to see where Taako was going. Taako cleared his throat, a little embarrassed by how much he’d shared. He didn’t even have the excuse of being drunk. “I looked at him like he hung the moon for me. After I didn’t give him a spotlight, Sazed only looked at me like I hung the moon to taunt him,” Taako rolled back towards Kravitz. “And, yanno, maybe he was right to look at me like that.”

“You never answered my question,” Kravitz responded softly.

Taako’s eyes flicked over him, sitting still and poised. Whatever he said now did not matter; Kravitz had made the decision he’d come here to make. “What do you think, homie?” 

“You still love him,” Kravitz answered immediately, no room for an argument. It didn’t matter if he meant Benny or Sazed, really. 

The conversation was no longer interesting. Taako knew what was coming, he’d been in plenty of fruitless interrogations and shitty conference rooms with shitty lawyers who didn’t believe him. “What kind of monster would frame the man he supposedly loves?” He’d make Kravitz say it and whatever stupid things his subconscious was doing would end. 

Kravitz stared Taako dead in the eyes, “Sazed Young.” 

“So you called me out here just to reach the same conclusion as the state of Texas and -,” Taako stopped the frustrated rant. 

“I’m going to prove it,” Kravitz continued softly as if Taako hadn’t said anything. “In the meantime, it’s better if you stay free.”

For a moment, Taako felt like the whole world must have paused to let him process that; the moonlight barely across Kravitz’s handsome features and quiet reigning under the stars except for Kravitz’s soft breath in his ear yet so far away. 

“Did he ever love you, Taako?”

They stared at each other until Taako felt the hot splash of tears running across his fingers where he held his phone. His grip tightened briefly before he pulled back and hung up. 

Taako felt the weight of Kravitz’s eyes on his back as he fled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delays. Between traveling and such, it took a while to get here. c:
> 
> Hey, look, a real conversation.


	11. A Blinker in the Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A warning or a blessing? In any case, it's not an accident.

The bed was a mess. Kravitz groaned as he rolled over and checked the time. He’d barely managed four hours of sleep with the insomnia the earring had given him for the day. His new apartment was scattered with papers about Taako’s case. Groaning again, Kravitz forced himself out of bed, punching at the coffee maker until it started up. 

The necklace rang out with it’s usual monologue as he brushed his teeth, finishing with, “Clumsiness. One curse the result of UNKNOWN. Error.” 

Well, that certainly wasn’t a promising start to the day. Not the worst he could be saddled with, at least. He finished brushing his teeth and shaving quickly. Some dabs of makeup to attempt to hide the bags under his eyes. As he had every morning, he grimaced over the warm taste of key-lime gogurt. 

Sitting down, Kravitz straightened the messy case notes and compiled them into something more coherent. He paused as the memory of Taako’s face crumpling under the burden of Kravitz’s last question played in his mind. It had over and over again as he tried to sleep. The first burst of genuine emotion he’d seen from Taako. He spread out the mugshot of the older tiefling on the makeshift coffee table. 

Kravitz vaguely recalled his dreams being haunted by Taako’s cute, little laugh. It had caught him off guard. Really, Kravitz didn’t think it was fair. He already found Taako hopelessly attractive, the least the universe could do was not give him such endearing laughter. 

Now was really not the time for an internal battle over how pretty the packaging on a bad idea like Taako was. He turned his mind back to the man grimacing in the photo on his table. 

No, Taako could pretend but he wasn’t that good of an actor. He loved Sazed, even now. Kravitz frowned and drummed his fingers on top of the stack of papers he had. The question was not if Sazed did it, that was obvious, but _how_ he did it. He flipped through the papers, looking for Taako’s toxicology report. If he had been sick, there should have been some sort of filing from the station. 

Curiously, Kravitz found nothing. 

Kravitz grabbed his laptop and went through the files he’d been sent by old police friends or other bounty hunters who owed him favors. None of them had the toxicology report. More concerning was the the snippet on the front page of one report citing the existence of a medical record. He sent out feelers for the information, then sat his laptop aside. Leaning forward, Kravitz clasped and unclasped his hands. It had become more apparent around eleven the previous night that this wasn’t shoddy police work in play, but the creation of a narrative. 

Talking to Taako had confirmed his suspicions. For all his faults and annoying personality, the vampire was hardly deadly. No, Taako was one of the vampires that should have reassured society that the species was more interested in playing than hurting. Yet, The Glamour Springs Massacre had been brought up even recently as a reason to keep strict laws on monsters. Clearing Taako’s name would be an uphill battle in a realm of politically charged crimes that Kravitz had never needed to fight. He didn’t know what he had been thinking when he told Taako he’d _prove_ his innocence.

Taako’s tiny, muffled laugh and the tender way he’d whispered about his violinist echoed in Kravitz’s mind. 

_Right_. Well, Kravitz was nothing if not a man of his word. It wasn’t like he had much else going on with the curse in place. He drummed his fingers on the surface of the table, sighing deeply. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to see if Brian had a night off soon. There was no reason to chase Taako when he had someone who didn’t make him invent new swears to describe. 

He paused over Taako’s name in his list of messages. Setting his phone aside, he sat back on the shoddy couch. It wasn’t like Taako would want to talk to him after he’d made him cry anyway. He gave in and shot Taako a text, “`Do you want to meet again tonight?`” Kravitz covered his face, groaning. “I’m an idiot,” he mumbled to himself. 

To distract himself from bad life decisions, Kravitz sprawled out across the couch with his laptop. Out of curiousity, Kravitz pulled out the report referencing the medical record and googled the name of the doctor it had mentioned. 

Dr. George Kerrington was dead, a year after Taako had been arrested. A drunk driver had slammed into him on a mountain pass. The scene photos only needed to show the bent rim of a tire in the valley below for Kravitz to see there was no chance of survival for anyone. 

Kravitz’s fingers hovered over his keyboard, typing out the names of the arresting officers. 

Two of the four of them were still alive, but had long-retired. He came across an advertisement for ‘Twelve Angry Men’ starring a Mr. Hugh Kent an hour north from the city. That was certainly something for Kravitz to follow up on later. He wrote down the address and decided to get on the other bounty he’d been trying to hunt. 

Since he was going out to a middle-class neighborhood, Kravitz pulled on a suit and took out most of his visible piercings. It always helped when he went knocking on doors to look less like a bounty hunter. People tended to have better reception. 

He packed his bags quickly and headed out, pausing when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eyes. Kravitz was glad he’d set wards around most of his stuff. It’d keep The Bureau agents mostly away and short out any electronic devices that he hadn’t personally had blessed by The Raven Queen. 

Evading the agents was easy enough, even with the clumsiness curse making him stumble every few blocks. Kravitz stopped by the local temple and grabbed a few pamphlets about death before heading out to knock on doors and ring doorbells. 

“Hello,” he greeted cheerfully at the sixth house he had visited in the neighborhood. The woman at the door gave Kravitz a once over and he winked at her, taking off his hat and putting it against his chest. “I’m with The Church of The Raven Queen. Mind if I come in and talk about accepting the inevitability of death?” 

She hadn’t minded him coming in. He hadn’t minded her taking off her dress. The information he had by the time he buttoned back up his pants was rather useful. A man fitting his bounty’s description had been coming and going for the last few months about three doors down. At the girlfriend’s house, then.

Kravitz picked up his hat and straightened his tie as he headed out the door. His phone vibrated in his pocket when he opened the door to his car. Taako, finally awake, returning his text, “`I’m actually hungry tonight. I’ll really bite you this time, homie.`” 

He laughed and tossed his hat onto the passenger seat, checking to see if the wine from the other night was still there. “`See you soon,`” he returned. After a moment, he pulled down the visor to touch up his make-up as best he could. He quickly pulled off the jacket and tie, flipping through the few things he’d left in his car for something less _formal_ , maybe -.

Kravitz cut off his line of thought as he realized what he was doing. He gave his reflection a disapproving look. His reflection blinked. 

Kravitz blinked. His reflection blinked back and tapped against the glass. 

He scrambled backwards out of the open door of his car as chills ran down his spine. His foot caught on something, sending him sprawling onto his side. Smacking his temple against the asphalt, he momentarily saw stars, feet still inside the car. He stood up, hissing in pain as he rubbed the side of his aching face.

The porch light went on from the house he’d come from. “I think you forgot something,” the woman called, holding out his bundle of pamphlets. Kravitz plastered back on a charming smile and jogged to her to grab the pamphlets, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. 

He slammed the visor back to the ceiling of the car and tossed the pamphlets next to his hat, giving himself a papercut as he did so. “Oh, for -,” Kravitz swore, sucking on his finger and glaring at the bundle. One looked distinctly out of place. Hesitantly, Kravitz picked it up, a poster about palm readings. He glanced at the visor, then dropped his eyes to his hands. 

Not a coincidence. The next time he could contact The Raven Queen was at dawn. She likely knew that. As well as his supposed plans for the evening. He rubbed the side of his bruised face and started his car. The way Kravitz saw it, she would have reminded him to pray before dusk if she really cared. 

Nothing was a coincidence.

The locket guided him to Taako, fishing on the beach. He had to pause as he walked across the sand, breath catching as Taako came into view. Clearing his throat, he kept walking.

No, the way the night framed Taako was a coincidence. It had to be, for his sanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look I got this out in a reasonable amount of time. This was a shorter chapter as it transitions to the next chapter. It's the one I pushed back. :'D


	12. Love's a Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something to be found in the song of the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This chapter is the reason this fic is marked mature. There are dicks beyond Taako and Kravitz's personalities. 
> 
> Also there's consensual biting so. 
> 
> So proceed at your own pace!

The bobber dipped below the moon reflected on the water. Taako reeled it in quickly, but didn’t manage to hook the fish. He snarled and threw his pole aside out of frustration. 

The blood supply wouldn’t be there until the next day. He hadn’t eaten for a few days, now. Taako was hungry for the first time in a long time. He was old enough at that point that he never became bloodthirsty; simply grumpy, easily frustrated, tired. 

_Cold_.

He’d decided to go fishing to distract himself from the pangs in his stomach. Sprawling under a large umbrella on its side as if he could get sunburned from the moon. Taako had learned that the little touches were how a vampire kept their sanity into old age. Big umbrellas were for the beach.

“Nothing biting?”

Taako turned his head towards the voice to find Kravitz making his way down to the shore. He was carrying a bottle of wine with him. A part of him hadn’t been expecting goth boy to actually take him up on his offer. The other part of him was embarrassed that he’d run away crying. That part had asked Lup and Barry to check up on him every half an hour or so. Lup was suffering similarly, which meant they would argue non-stop if he stayed home.

His thoughts came to a halt as he looked over the suit Kravitz was wearing. 

Kravitz sat next to him on the blanket, gazing out at the water. Taako smiled and put an arm around his waist, scooting closer so their thighs were flush. “Enough bites to steal my bait,” Taako murmured, leaning in to feel the warmth of Kravitz’s skin. Being close made him feel suddenly drunk. Rarely, he was aware of things like heartbeats and smells. They were always there, Taako just tuned them out. At that moment, he felt like he couldn’t ignore how fast Kravitz’s heart was going or how _good_ he smelled. He felt the heartbeat picking up as he leaned in and felt inexplicably pleased with himself. 

“Oh,” Kravitz mumbled, distracted by Taako’s face, cringing back slightly. “How hungry are you? Your eyes are -,” he cut himself off, staring. 

Taako hadn’t even felt anything change. He poked his tongue at his teeth, feeling his fangs out. “Sorry, I’m very hungry and you’re very warm,” he smiled as best he could without it turning menacing. As an afterthought, he retracted his fangs forcibly. It hurt, making him wince. There was nothing to be done about his eyes.

“I, ah, brought wine. I’ve heard that can help vampires. With hunger,” Kravitz coughed awkwardly and offered the bottle. 

Taako blinked down at it, slowly parsing what it was. Kravitz popped it open and pushed it into Taako’s hands. He took it and drained half the bottle. Taako pinched his nose and finished the rest. It helped him feel a little warmer, settling some of the pangs, even if it tasted disgusting. 

“That hungry? I have more in my car,” Kravitz offered quietly. 

Taako felt a little more clear-headed at the same time as he could feel a full bottle of wine taking effect. It wouldn’t hit him as hard as a human, but he’d have a pleasant buzz. It dulled the sensations of Kravitz’s warm body being so close. So close and edible. “No, this is fine, my dude, thanks,” he managed. 

Kravitz stared out at the ocean and Taako was content to concentrate on not being so distracted by the sound of the heart beating fast next to him. “Taako,” Kravitz murmured, startling Taako into turning towards him. “That last question yesterday; are you okay?”

This was not exactly a topic Taako wanted to be on. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be, handsome?” He replied airily, waving his hand. 

“You cried,” Kravitz answered flatly, giving Taako a speculative look. 

“Hm? I’m not sure what you mean, bubala,” Taako said distractedly, tapping the side of his face like he was trying to remember. He stopped when he realized he was doing it at the same rate as Kravitz’s heartbeat. 

“You’re ridiculous, I’m trying to have a serious conversation,” Kravitz laughed, leaning his elbows on his knees. He peered over at Taako and then back towards the ocean. “I should have known better. We already talked movies. What’s the song you were listening to last?” 

Instead of really answering, Taako flipped on his phone and played a clip of the song, [’Feel It Still’ by Portugal. The Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBkHHoOIIn8). It was a good distraction and hid the sound of Kravitz’s heartbeat. He wondered if Kravitz knew exactly what was distracting Taako. 

Covering his mouth, Kravitz laughed softly, leaning forward, “Very fitting.”

Taako grinned and leaned closer to Kravitz. “What about you, bone boy? What do -?”

“Wait a second, did you call me ‘bone boy’?” Kravitz snorted in disbelief. He pulled out his phone, starting to play something, but stopping it. “Oh, ah, this isn’t a very good example of my tastes -.”

“Nu uh, homie,” Taako interrupted, leaning over and stabbing at the play button. Kravitz tried to keep it out of reach, but Taako had the element of surprise. As soon as the song started playing, Kravitz pinched the bridge of his nose and Taako leaned his head on Kravitz’s shoulder, laughing uncontrollably as [’Boots & Boys’ by Ke$ha](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzWMNU87FK4) played over the ocean. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I like Kesha as much as the next guy, I was _not_ expectin’ this, my dude,” he wheezed. 

“She’s a musical genius, really,” Kravitz muttered in defense, switching the song to something that was still a far cry from what Taako was expecting, [’In The Beginning’ by Fahrenhaidt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaIADQnLb4E).

Taako stayed leaning against Kravitz’s side, tapping along to the music across the hunter’s forearm. It was a sweet song and it was endearing to think of Kravitz actively listening to such a sentimental love song while showering or something equally mundane. When the song stopped, Kravitz looked at him expectantly and Taako threw on whatever was next in his mix, [’Everything Is Everything’ by Phoenix](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LnmWJ_p9ks).

Kravitz swayed slightly in time with the music, picking up the beat by tapping his fingers on the sand. Taako swayed right with him, joining in on the song by singing loudly and out of key which Kravitz watched with amusement. “You’re a terrible singer,” he commented as the song finished. 

“Rude,” Taako snorted, far from offended. He tapped the top of Kravitz’s phone. Kravitz laughed and flipped through his playlist. While the albums flashed across the screen, Taako thought he saw more than a few ‘ _Original Broadway Cast_ ’ titles. He smirked, saying nothing. It sort of detracted from the badass bounty hunter aesthetic, but Taako didn’t mind.

Finally, Kravitz made his selection. [’Our Own House’ by MisterWives](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGl7O1EVR7Y) started to play, swelling across the beach. It had clearly been picked to better match Taako’s tastes, more upbeat. Still, it had a kind of edge to it that Taako was finding less surprising. He tossed his phone aside and stood, holding out his hands to Kravitz. 

Laughing, Kravitz let Taako pull him up and swung Taako around on the blanket. He’d seen Kravitz’s dancing and this felt different, like the night in the club had been all a display; this was less manufactured. Even then, Taako had thought something about the dancing had transformed Kravitz in subtle ways. Now, he saw it better for the _music_ that carried Kravitz away. Taako felt like he was glimpsing the man who sat somewhere between Broadway and bounty hunter. 

This was a man who was probably close to killing him only a few days prior. He could choose to see only the sentimental love songs and musicals, but that wouldn’t be the full scope of the fingertips pressing into his hips nor the holster he was resting his hand on. This was a man who was still capable of killing him. He put a hand on Kravitz’s cheek as he prepared to pull away and felt the man lean into his touch like a flower turning towards the sun. A man who was happy and bright-eyed and barely restrained from breaking into song.

Taako lost the pattern of Kravitz’s heart in the flutter of his own. 

If all of this was only part of Kravitz’s plan, he would tell the man to switch careers to acting. He moved his hand away from the holster, to Kravitz’s shoulder. As the song began to end, Taako scooped up his phone and threw another on, [’Starz in Their Eyes’ by Just Jack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdBr6s5h980). Kravitz grabbed him, spinning him under the moonlight. Taako laughed delightedly, clapping with the beat with his hands above his head until he dropped them to intertwine with Kravitz’s fingers. Kravitz started to tug him forward, but his foot caught on the blanket. 

He fell into Taako and they tumbled onto the sand, laughing. “Fuck, fuck, sorry,” Kravitz wheezed. He rolled away quickly, sitting up. Taako pushed his hair out of his face, feeling full of warmth and music and the expression on Kravitz’s face. The flyaway curls softening Kravitz’s profile as his expression changed, as he looked at Taako. The song faded, leaving only the waves whispering along the shoreline. 

They were caught up in the tangle of moonlight, catching their breath on the comfortable quiet.

It broke across a ping from Taako’s phone. He tittered awkwardly as Kravitz looked away. “I think I’m seeing a trend for enjoying something that has that sort of cheap pop to it,” Kravitz teased, smirking. 

“Hey, I own that shit, my good guy,” Taako laughed, snaking an arm around Kravitz’s waist for more warmth. “What about you? Jammin’ out to Kesha and won’t even admit it.”

Taako felt the rumble of Kravitz’s laugh. He leaned in closer to absorb the different sort of heat flooding the places they touched. Kravitz shifted and Taako wondered if he was leaning into him, too. “You’re so cold,” he frowned. “How did you get this far gone anyway?”

“Don’t think I don’t see you switchin’ subjects, bubala,” Taako grinned, wagging his finger. Kravitz rolled his eyes. “Supplies come and go, my man,” Taako drawled, poking Kravitz in the chest lightly. He knew better than to reveal that Kravitz had jeopardized them in any way. Besides that he didn’t want to needlessly guilt trip Kravitz. “Older fangs get cut off first. Should be fixed up tonight or tomorrow. It’s mostly annoyin’.” He caught the beat of Kravitz’s heart again. “Distractin’,” he murmured.

“Older fangs?” Kravitz snorted, looking Taako over. “How old are you?”

“Two hundred thirty-four,” Taako answered automatically. That had been his answer for more than a few centuries. He’d started to get self-conscious around the time he’d realized he’d be old if he was only an elf. 

“Two, three, four,” Kravitz mumbled, more to himself. “Somehow, I don’t believe you,” he smirked. 

“Okay, handsome, place me in my origins,” Taako demanded imperiously, leveling a gaze at Kravitz. 

Kravitz smiled, looking Taako over. “Honestly, I couldn’t begin to guess,” he laughed. Taako was thoroughly invested in the rumble of that laughter. The soothing way it sounded with Kravitz’s quick, birdlike heartbeat as a backdrop. His mind shifted at a pang of hunger in his stomach.

There was a thought forming in his mind that Kravitz probably tasted good. Even if he didn’t, he was still warm and there and Taako was _hungry_. “Would it be better if I left?”

Taako started, blinking up at Kravitz as his thoughts were interrupted. He cleared his throat, forcing his fangs to retract, “No, you’re good, real good, real warm.” Kravitz stiffened slightly, looking surprised. Taako tittered, he was starting to get distracted again, soaking in Kravitz’s warmth. He wanted more of it. “Can I -,” he started to pull himself into Kravitz’s lap, chasing the heat. He leaned against Kravitz’s chest, listening to his heartbeat contentedly. This was fine, as far as he and his hunger were concerned.

Shifting under him, Kravitz put his hands awkwardly on Taako’s hips. “You’re freezing,” he hissed. Taako stuck his bare toes under Kravitz’s calves. “Fuck! I’m going to remember this, you know,” Kravitz growled, squirming under him to try to escape his cold feet. “If it will warm you up, just fucking bite me.”

Taako didn’t need anymore permission. He felt a sharp intake of breath against his lips as he kissed along Kravitz’s jaw and down his neck, looking for the perfect place to bite. His hands stilled against the buttons on Kravitz’s shirt, waiting. Kravitz pushed his hands aside and unbuttoned a quarter of the shirt hastily. Taako grinned against his skin, pushing aside the collar and running a hand down his bare chest. It seemed to catch Kravitz by surprise when he dug his fangs in. Kravitz was warm and Taako could taste the bite of adrenaline, feeling Kravitz’s rapid pulse against his lips.

“Ow ow ow ow,” Kravitz snarled, fingers digging into his hips. “Ow! Fuck!” Taako forced himself back with some effort, panting. “That hurts a lot more than I was expecting,” Kravitz said sheepishly. 

That got through the fog in Taako’s brain and he snorted. “Yeah, dumbass, I’m stabbing you with my teeth to drink your life essence. Of course it hurts,” he laughed. 

“Well,” Kravitz drawled, averting his eyes, “are you going to finish?”

Taako grinned and licked up the blood, getting back to it. Kravitz’s grunts turned into groans that quickly dissolved into moans. It was _weird_ for Taako. He could taste Kravitz’s arousal as much as he could feel it against his thigh. The thought crossed his mind that this was like eating a moaning sandwich. 

Kravitz’s arms wobbled and then he fell backwards onto the blanket. Taako adjusted to straddle Kravitz’s hips, still feeling Kravitz under his skirt, against his backside. The situation wasn’t exactly his definition of sexy, but Kravitz _was_. Moaning, completely undone, hips bucking slightly under him. Taako kissed up to Kravitz’s ear, “D - do you want me to touch -?” He put his hand on top of the bulge in Kravitz’s slacks. After all, the hunter was feeding him, the least he could do was offer some relief. 

“ _Yes_ ,” Kravitz nearly sobbed, hands fluttering up either side of Taako before gripping his hips tightly. “ _Please_. Touch me.” Having this man practically begging sent a rush straight to Taako’s ego. Taako fumbled with the buttons of Kravitz’s pants, pulling his dick out and giving it a few strokes. 

He shuddered when a hand slid up his inner thigh and palmed him through his boxers. “S-silk? Is this lace?” Kravitz murmured against his ear, making Taako shiver. Fingers traced the lace around his thighs. 

Taako pulled back far enough to mumble, “Feels good, h-huh?” Kravitz laughed, then gasped as Taako twisted gently around the head of his cock. 

“Condoms,” Kravitz hissed, lifting his hips to reach into his back pocket. They both moaned at the brief contact. He fumbled with his wallet and pulled one out. “Wait, I’ve never -. Do we even need -?” He waved the condom vaguely and gestured at his neck. 

Taako sat back and grabbed his purse, pulling out his own flavored condoms. Not that their flavor would matter to Kravitz. “Yeah, we need ‘em thug. My mouth is clean and my bod can handle infected _blood_. Rest of it is a risk.” He lifted his skirt delicately so Kravitz could roll his own condom on. Kravitz did so with a nod, as if committing that information to memory. Taako tried to bite back his grin; he could watch Kravitz touch himself for hours. Making a show of it, he shimmied his boxers off under his long skirt. Kravitz watched with his hands on Taako’s hips, groaning when Taako reached under and gave Kravitz a gentle squeeze. The skirt, in retrospect, had been an excellent idea. Taako rolled the condom on himself, moaning as he watched Kravitz intently. The noise had the intended effect, making the hunter tense under him as he focused completely on Taako. It hadn’t escaped him they were in public, even if there were few people around at three am. There’d be little to see but a heavy makeout session from a distance with the skirt covering everything. 

Condom on, he leaned forward to lap up the little bit of blood he’d missed. Kravitz reached under almost eagerly, caressing Taako’s thighs. 

Taako moaned against Kravitz’s neck as his shaft was stroked. Shifting, he buried his fingers in Kravitz’s hair as Kravitz wrapped a hand around both their cocks. He forced himself not to suck, only lick, at the blood as he rocked his hips into Kravitz’s touch. The bleeding had almost completely stopped, even though he’d barely taken anything from Kravitz. Normally, he’d bite again at this point, but Taako remembered it hurting worse the second time. 

This was _so_ weird. So weird and _hot_. 

Eating a pot roast while getting a hand job under the table. Taako actively tried to stop the barrage of very not sexy thoughts filtering through his brain. He focused on the feeling, leaning up on his elbows to press his nose to Kravitz’s, panting against his lips. It felt taboo to kiss, like it would make this more than casual or an accident of them both getting caught up in the moment. Something told him one of them would cross an unspoken line here. 

Kravitz broke first, almost as soon as Taako thought about what it would mean, free hand tangling in Taako’s hair, kissing him roughly. Taako kissed back fiercely, feeling himself getting closer even as Kravitz’s hand slowed. “Faster,” he groaned desperately. 

“I’m enjoying this,” Kravitz smirked, pulling him down for another kiss before Taako could protest. It was good, almost sweet. Taako chased his mouth when he stopped, pecking and savoring Kravitz’s lips. His ears felt hot as he laid his cheek against Kravitz’s, gasping against his jaw with each torturously slow stroke. Kravitz brushed his hand against an ear, making it twitch and Taako squirm. He chuckled and tugged at an earring before letting go. Taako felt something swelling in his chest as he pulled back to watch Kravitz’s face. The feeling was warm and reminded him of what he felt when they were in the club. 

Kravitz, Taako thought, was -.

“Taako!”

Both their heads snapped up to the voice, whoever it was obscured by the umbrella. Barry poked his head around it then froze in horror. Kravitz blinked in surprise and Taako felt about a dozen nightmares coming true. He buried his burning face against Kravitz’s chest to hide. 

“Oh Istus!” Then, muffled on the other side of the umbrella, Barry shouted, “Taako what the _hell_ are you doing?”

Kravitz’s hands dropped away as he shook with laughter. 

“Barry, Barold, my dude,” Taako groaned, muffled against Kravitz’s shirt. This was a blast of reality for him. Every half hour or so was specifically what he’d asked for. 

“Came to ask - get something from you! I guess I don’t need it, bye,” Barry replied quickly and Taako heard him flee. 

“Was that a ghost?” Kravitz wheezed, clearly trying to stop himself. 

“Worse,” Taako said seriously, looking up. Kravitz stilled a little under him. “My sister’s boyfriend.”

Kravitz laughed harder, which made Taako laugh, too. As they calmed down, Kravitz put a hand on his cheek and watched his face for a moment. His thumb brushed against Taako’s freckles. The moment felt right and neither was surprised by the kiss this time. 

It was something soft and sweet under the moonlight. The sound of the ocean was the first song that mattered enough for them to remember as their own, later. They parted, reluctantly, each sweeping the moment under an avalanche of excuses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another reasonably deployed chapter (for my usual pace anyway)!


	13. A Rabbit in More Than Ears, WINK

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus brings enough information to send Kravitz to Glamour Springs. Only after some comfortable and uncomfortable truths.

Worse than tentacles, the dream consisted of kissing. It was the luxury of having time to touch Taako tenderly, to peck his lips, and chase his mouth. The moonlight never faded to dawn, there were no phones to interrupt their gaze, or ghosts to horrify. Only the two of them and the song of the sea. Kravitz woke up a different kind of unsatisfied. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Being in lust wasn’t something Kravitz had time for. Technically, he was immortal, but that didn’t mean he wanted to waste the extra time he had pining after a vampire. “For Our Lady’s sake,” he groaned as he sprawled across his bed and stared at the ceiling. Kravitz pressed his lips in a thin line. Even when he was a teenager, he’d never been struck by more _want_ than getting laid. He vaguely recalled his baba saying that it was normal, but, considering how quick his brother had settled down, Kravitz wasn’t sure that was true. 

The worst part was he wasn’t even remotely turned on. Kravitz was more than prepared to accept that Taako had awoken some new desire for the simple pleasures of kissing. His body, he thought, had betrayed him yet again. Much like he’d let it the night before; he still could hardly believe he’d _told_ Taako to bite him.

Yet, at the same time, he was surprised it hadn’t happened sooner. 

Finally moving, Kravitz rolled out of bed and moved to the dingy bathroom. He reached up to rub at his ears, thinking they felt heavier than usual. Freezing, Kravitz’s newly acquired rabbit ears flattened against his head. “You’re kidding me,” he snarled at his reflection. With as much venom as Kravitz could muster, he pulled out every earring beside the daisy one, hissing in pain each time he had to pinch at his ears to hold them still long enough to take them out. They felt lighter and ached when he was done. He pulled back the bandages he’d hastily applied to his neck before sleeping. It was shallow, more on his shoulder, but still bruised, swollen and aching lightly. Poking at the wound gently made him wince and hiss with pain. Considering his line of work, he felt like he could convincingly pass it off as a scratch.

Still, there were other dangers to the bite. 

Kravitz swabbed his mouth with the given q-tip and placed it into the plastic tube. Rereading the instructions, he shook it and waited for it to form a color. He sighed in relief when it went a bright green. 

Becoming partially undead wasn’t something he was prepared for. He knew that turning into a _thrall_ was rare, but he was paranoid. Even if he wouldn’t really be undead, per se. Taako always being able to find him or have a general idea of his emotional state or _share his dreams_ were all extremely unappealing to Kravitz. 

He cleaned the kit and put it back into the medicine cabinet. A part of him knew, no matter what parts of him decided now to never let it happen again, he’d always had a weakness for his vices. Never enough to lead him to destruction. Enough, however, to latch onto the painfully pleasant feeling that had, in retrospect, left him a quivering puddle that Taako could have demanded anything from and Kravitz would have acquiesced. He thought of that in the shower instead of his overly complicated dream. At least the new ears were good for something besides making him look stupid. When he finished, he quickly bandaged the wound again. 

He checked the necklace and it rattled off the list of permanents while Kravitz painted over the daisy earring with black nail polish. “Equipper grows the ears of a random animal. One curse the result of UNKNOWN. Error,” it finished. Well, it wasn’t the worst that could happen, he thought. Honestly, Kravitz had been half-worried he’d take on a skittish personality like a rabbit, too, or it was the first stage of fully becoming one. He stood back from the mirror and flipped the lights off. “The sky is green,” he said quietly. There was only the faintest glow that he would have to be in pitch black to see. That was one less curse to worry about, but the ways his ears flicked to every noise was going to quickly become annoying. Worse, it didn’t seem to improve his hearing by any degree.

Grinning to himself, he opened the door and flipped on the lights. His reflection frowned back at him and pointed to the floor. Kravitz turned slowly, expecting someone to be standing there. His deck of tarot cards lay scattered on the ground by the shabby bed. Twisting back, he saw only himself, staring back in mild horror.

Right, The Raven Queen. He’d forgotten to pray. 

Kravitz gathered his tarot cards and shuffled them. He sat on his bed and decided to do a three card spread. For him, there wasn’t much stake in it. However, The Raven Queen, more often than not, spoke through divination. His ears went up as he focused on the subtle feelings of right and wrong that the deck gave him. Direct interference like, say, taking over a reflection in the mirror, usually meant an important message. King of Wands; a married man who could bring news of heritage. His first thought went to Magnus, who seemed increasingly interested in his lineage. He pulled the next card, Seven of Swords; quarreling or a plan that may fail. That wasn’t a good sign. 

The last card made him pause. The Sun, a major arcana. While Kravitz didn’t put _much_ thought in tarot cards, major arcana appearing in the future had always set him on edge. Perhaps it was The Raven Queen’s influence, but they had unfailingly signalled a major shift in his life. 

The major arcana was the journey of the fool and Kravitz had only ever drawn them for himself, whether he or another was doing the reading, in the order they were meant to be told. He had been The Fool, the innocent man starting a journey, prior to submitting his first composition. Not long after, he was The High Priestess, secrets and unrealized potential, when he cut his hand to follow what was supposed to be an old game. It was only with The Tower did Kravitz pull himself away from gambling to follow The Raven Queen’s call. Quietly, he had awaited The Moon to arrive. 

His mind wandered back to the kiss by the edge of the ocean watched over the full moon. Something with a dreamlike quality that made his hand twitch to scribble a song in his journal. Yet, Taako was bewildering and something about him made Kravitz worry. Imagination, confusion, and anxiety were all the properties of The Moon. 

Kravitz dismissed that thought quickly, if only so he didn’t think too much about it. His ears betrayed him by twitching up in interest. He shuffled the cards back into the deck as someone knocked on his door. Glancing around, he grabbed his gun and went to answer.

Magnus waved at him brightly, “Hey there, Mac, I have some stuff from Taako that -.”

Kravitz shut the door in his face. He paused, then locked it and went to go turn on the coffee machine. 

There was a light clicking and then the door swung open. “That’s a crime,” Kravitz said without turning around, twisting the cap off a bottle of water. 

“Good thing I’m a criminal,” Magnus replied brightly. Kravitz turned around to glare at him, ears flat against his head. Magnus gave him a thumbs up. “I mean, at this point does it really matter? Anyway, I heard about last night and wanted to make sure you were -,” he started. 

“Oh sweet Lady of Death,” Kravitz swore, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“- not a thrall, but _also_ I come bearing orange juice and free breakfast,” Magnus continued, waving a gallon of orange juice. He paused for a moment, staring as if he had just noticed Kravitz. “Are those bunny ears?”

Kravitz looked Magnus up and down dismissively, “I’m not a thrall. Give me the breakfast and leave.” Even if he’d brought in a bounty a few nights ago, money was still tight. 

“I thought you might say that, so breakfast is at the diner,” Magnus grinned, gesturing in the general direction of the street corner. 

The options were free breakfast with Magnus obviously being nosey or paying for breakfast. Kravitz felt like he could sit through evading twenty questions in order to make Magnus pay for the good stuff. “Let me get dressed,” he said firmly, turning away from Magnus with the tips of his ears starting to burn. They hung low enough to brush against his shoulders. With the ears, this would be a more awful experience than he’d originally factored.

“Okay, I’ll be right out here. Waiting,” Magnus said quickly, placing the orange juice on the ground. He stepped outside, closing the door. 

Gulping down a coffee and grimacing at the taste, Kravitz armed himself to the teeth with guns and knives. For good measure, he put on a kevlar vest. He kept his silver edged knives and bullets in easily accessible places. Getting caught without was not an option. He braided his hair and wrapped it in a bun, slipping a stick attached to a small plastic vial of holy water into his hair. A raven’s skull, his holy symbol, glued to the other end. 

He checked himself in the mirror to make sure he looked normal. At least, it looked like he wasn’t carrying enough weapons to arm a small squad of soldiers. Nodding to himself, he grabbed his keys and headed out. 

“Have trouble deciding what color black to wear today?” Magnus joked while Kravitz checked that Magnus hadn’t caused any permanent damage to the lock. 

“I looked for what went best with silver,” Kravitz replied drily, starting towards the diner without checking to see if Magnus was following. “Turns out it’s black.” He hadn’t moved too far from the motel and still favored the diner for the workers and prices.

“Oh,” Magnus said quietly. “So,” he went on awkwardly, obviously changing the subject. “You and Taako, huh?”

“We what, Magnus?” Kravitz of course knew what Magnus was alluding to, but he’d make the man say it. 

Magnus shrugged and gestured vaguely. “You’re, you know. Dating?” After a moment he added, “Seems kind of quick.”

Kravitz stopped walking and turned to eye Magnus. “We met at a bar and went back to my motel room for, what I thought was, casual sex. Maybe I find him ridiculously irresistable or maybe I hate him. Frankly, it’s none of your gods damn business,” he stated flatly and slowly. 

“Well,” Magnus said, crossing his arms, “It actually kind of is my business. I’m in charge of making sure no one gets hurt.” He jabbed a finger at Kravitz’s chest and squared his shoulders. “If this is some plot -.”

“You’ll what?” Kravitz hated having to glare up, but he did, backhanding Magnus’s hand aside. “Kill me? I’d like to see you try,” he growled. His hand fell to the gun on his holster. 

Magnus made a frustrated noise, but relaxed his shoulders, dropping his arms. “Look here, Mac -.”

“Kravitz.”

Magnus rolled his eyes and waved his hand, “Look here, _dude_ , if you’ve had a change of heart or really are interested in this vampire you, you know, _tried to kill_ a few days ago, _fine_. Convince me. Otherwise, you’re a problem. The Bureau's problems tend to disappear.” 

Kravitz pulled out his phone. “Care to say that again? Into the microphone,” he insisted. “As evidence. For murder.”

Instead of getting mad, Magnus laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. It made Kravitz stagger slightly at the force, ears flicking down in annoyance. “C’mon, let's go get breakfast,” he grinned, starting to walk again. 

They are _all_ weird, Kravitz thought as he followed cautiously, rubbing his shoulder. Magnus tucked into a corner booth and ordered two coffees. Kravitz made no effort to hide that he was taking full advantage of Magnus’s supposed generosity, listing off enough food to feed himself for a couple of days. The waitress stared when his ears pressed forward, but seemed to let it go with a shrug.

When the waitress left them with coffee, Magnus leaned in. “Angus and Julia did some digging on you after you left,” he commented. 

Kravitz narrowed his eyes, wrapping his hands around the coffee to warm them up. His ears pressed forward curiously, despite him trying to look impassive. “Isn’t Angus that kid? The kid in the -,” he stopped as his memory failed him, frowning down at the table. He glared back up at Magnus. “I don’t like having my head messed with, Magnus.” 

“Yeah, he’s _my_ kid, which is exactly why we’re not taking any chances,” Magnus replied firmly, tearing open a few sugar packets and dumping them into his coffee. “It’s not all criminals in the Bureau. There are families trying to find a safe place or get on their feet. Kids.”

“If you cared, you’d give them a home where they don’t constantly have to live in fear of being found out,” Kravitz snorted, leaning an elbow on the table. 

Magnus angrily ripped another sugar packet open. “You’re kind of an asshole, you know.” 

Kravitz sneered at the packets of sugar and pointedly took a drink of his own. Warm key-lime gogurt didn’t taste any better at the diner. “Oh, I wonder why,” he said in mock surprise, widening his eyes. His ears lifted slightly and angled towards Magnus. “Maybe,” he paused, leaning forward, “ _just_ maybe, it was the fact that you could have caused me permanent brain damage by knocking me out. If I had the money, I’d get a CT scan.”

Magnus laughed awkwardly, smiling apologetically. “Don’t worry, Merle took care of it all. You’re fine. Including the CT scan.” Kravitz’s glare didn’t waver. Fumbling with the creamer, Magnus went on, “Anyway, they said you were in an accident when you were young. Julia and Angus did, I mean. Not an accident, either, not really. Kind of famous? At the time.”

Blowing on his coffee, Kravitz kept his gaze steady. “It seems things being none of your business is a recurring problem for you,” he replied coldly. 

Putting his hands flat on the table, Magnus looked at Kravitz sadly. Kravitz flipped him the bird as he took a drink. This was something ancient that Magnus lacked even the basic context to understand. He wasn’t about to waste his breath. Sensing this topic was a dead end, Magnus switched to something else, “You’re a lot older than I thought you were. You’re something more than part harpy, huh?”

“You’re talking to someone who grew up during the Prohibition era and _that’s_ your question?” Kravitz snorted, shaking his head. 

“Seems kind of rude to ask if you were drafted in World War II,” Magnus replied, shrugging. “I mean, I already know that, too.”

Kravitz waved his hand vaguely. His ears went up with interest, twitching slightly. “Wasn’t drafted. I volunteered. They gave me a gun and a few weeks of boot camp. The best thing I ever did was take a few bullets while scouting,” he shared casually with a small laugh. It wasn’t a story he was afraid of telling and something about Magnus struck him as military. “I crawled back and my captain was halfway through dressing me down about being seen when I dropped from blood loss. Airport scanners still don’t like me for carrying around some war memorabilia.”

“Damn,” Magnus laughed, sounding impressed. “How many bullets did you catch?”

“Two in the stomach and one in my chest,” Kravitz tapped at each spot. “I was an early casualty, so I listened to everything happen on the radio.” 

Magnus smiled, nodding and pointing at his arm at a deep bite scar. “I served in Afghanistan as a captain. One of my soldiers didn’t get his medicine and turned while we were on a mission. I subdued him peacefully, but we were both honorably discharged.” He shook his head, still smiling. Kravitz knew the protocol was to shoot. His respect for Magnus increased significantly. “It sucked, but it wasn’t Avi’s fault. He introduced me to Julia and the rest of it -,” Magnus looked away, face soft and wistful. “What more could someone ask for?”

Looking down at his coffee, Kravitz hummed in response. His ears drooped against his shoulders.

“Did you always want to be a police officer? Or was it bootcamp that brought you around?” Magnus asked. 

Of course, Kravitz should have figured the conversation would go here. “No, I always thought I’d be an orchestra conductor,” he replied between sipping his coffee. “Maybe a violinist if I was feeling tired.”

“Huh, not something I’d peg you for. I was thinking tattoo artist or regular artist,” Magnus smirked. “Something exciting. Not classical music.”

Kravitz glared over his cup and set it aside. “I wrote my first symphony when I was eleven and conducted it at twelve. Went home with my first national title at fourteen. It _was_ exciting. I enjoyed it very much. No, I _loved_ it.”

Magnus blinked in surprise, leaning forward. “What happened?” 

“Same thing that happens to everyone when they start to grow up. I was good for a child, I wouldn’t have made it on a real stage,” Kravitz replied easily, sitting back and wrapping his hands around his coffee cup. Magnus’s brow creased. “I protect people, catch the bad guy, and go on with my life. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

Magnus looked down at his own coffee cup. “That’s kind of sad,” he said simply. 

Kravitz shook his head, ears quivering annoyingly, “I don’t see why it has to be. I’m more or less happy. Content, at the very least.”

“Do you even have a home?”

He watched himself in the reflection of his coffee. “I have a PO Box in my hometown. That’s good enough.” 

“Huh.”

Silence settled over the table briefly. 

“You don’t always catch the bad guy.” 

Kravitz looked up at Magnus. “Care to come again?” 

“Well,” Magnus said slowly, “let me ask you something. You seem to hunt a lot of monsters. Why is that?”

“Not a lot of other people will,” Kravitz shrugged. He had an idea of where this was going. “They’re bigger, stronger, faster. Someone has to do it.” 

“You didn’t answer my question,” Magnus persisted, tapping the table. 

Kravitz paused, considering. “Bounty is higher.” He leveled a look directly at Magnus. 

“That’s not it and we both know it,” Magnus grumbled, shaking his head. 

“You want me to tell you about how I hunt monsters because I secretly hate myself,” Kravitz growled, taking a drink of his coffee. “I do it because no one else will and someone has to enforce the law. You’re a bad guy, whether or not you think you’re innocent, Magnus.” 

Magnus caught Kravitz’s eyes and stared him down. “Then, why should I trust you with Taako?”

Kravitz froze, ears cocked forward. This hadn’t been where he wanted the conversation to lead. 

“Look,” Magnus said softly, drinking his coffee. “Taako is a bad guy, too, Kravitz. Why did you let him bite you?”

Kravitz took a deep breath. There was no quip on the tip of his tongue. Anxiety settled in his stomach as he realized he would never see Taako again if he didn’t answer correctly. Only key-lime gogurt for the rest of his life. Not to mention whatever hell the daily curse decided to inflict on him. 

Seven of swords

“He was cold,” Kravitz whispered, honestly, imagining he could see the card in the coffee’s reflection. “I’m going to prove he’s innocent because I know he is. I promised him that much.” He looked up at Magnus defiantly, ears flicking towards him. “He’s an asshole, but he’s not -,” he licked his lips, ears flattening against his head in embarrassment. “He’s not a _bad guy_ ,” Kravitz murmured against the rim of his coffee cup.

Magnus whistled sharply, making Kravitz duck his head. “I know Taako was good, but didn’t realize he was _that_ good,” he winked with a laugh. 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Kravitz snipped, gulping down the coffee as the food arrived. 

At least Magnus was polite enough for the waitress to leave. “You’re practically burning, Mac -.”

“Kravitz.”

“- just admitting he’s not a bad guy. Should have seen Taako last night. You two have it _bad_. It’s cute,” Magnus went on with a wave of his hand, grinning knowingly. 

Kravitz hated him, brightly and intensely. He glared across the table and set his cup down with a little more force than necessary. His ears twitched forward curiously. “You’re a -,” he bit his tongue and fidgeted with a silver ring. “What was he like last night?” Kravitz hated himself, a little bit, for feeling the _need_ to ask. He crossed his arms and dared Magnus to do more than answer his question.

Magnus’s grin widened and Kravitz could see he was meeting the challenge. “Cute,” he whispered to himself, sing-song. “He baked cookies.”

Kravitz rolled his eyes, picking back up his coffee cup.

“Like, _hundreds_ of cookies. He barely trusts himself to cook lunch,” Magnus smiled, leaning an elbow on the table. “Afraid of poison,” he added as an afterthought. 

Pausing, Kravitz considered that information seriously. His eyes narrowed on Magnus and he leaned forward intently. “Poison?”

Magnus blinked, looking at Kravitz curiously. “Yeah? Glamour Springs?” 

“Why would he be afraid of poison? There was nothing in the reports about -,” the missing medical record and the accusations of altered autopsies slammed into Kravitz like a ton of bricks. Taako had felt sick. Something that could bring down forty people quietly enough to frame someone for a more graphic murder. Magnus mentioned it like it was nothing. 

Snapping his fingers in front of Kravitz’s face, Magnus looked at him with concern. “Are you -?” 

Kravitz snatched Magnus’s wrist. “Does The Bureau have a copy of Taako’s medical report from that night?” He pressed seriously. “It’s missing from the official reports,” he hissed, letting go of Magnus as he realized what he’d done.

Magnus pulled his hand back slowly, setting his cup down. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but The Bureau does independent investigations of everyone under our care. Kravitz, _no one_ at The Bureau is -.”

Kravitz cut him off with an impatient thump on the diner table. “Answer my question,” he commanded, drumming his hand across the table as his mind wound around the new information. Poison, _of course_ , poison. A thought struck him; if it was a fast-acting poison, it could have confused the dead long enough for them to linger. 

“Yes,” Magnus answered snappily, crossing his arms with a huff. 

Kravitz pulled a pad of paper from his pocket and jotted his email down. He ripped it off and shoved it in Magnus’s hand. “Send it there. I need to go do something,” he offered off-hand as he stood and wrapped his breakfast sandwich in a napkin. 

“Wait, uhm, Mac -,” Magnus held the piece of paper helplessly. 

“If you’re going to call me by my first name, call me Alli,” Kravitz snarled, pausing long enough to glare. 

“Alli -.” 

Kravitz was already out the door and sprinting to his apartment. He threw the door open and left it open as he cross-referenced his reports and looked up the studio where Taako’s last show had taken place. They had tried to recover from the disaster, but had ultimately committed the building to become a museum after freak accident after freak accident. Local legends confirmed his suspicions enough for Kravitz to take the chance, but he had to move fast if he wanted to get there with enough time to do anything about it that night. He sat his laptop down and ran to his car. 

After starting it, he swore at his open apartment door. Still swearing, he ran inside and shoved his essentials into his bag of holding, pausing to lock the door impatiently. He squealed out of the apartment parking lot and slammed ‘ _Glamour Springs Museum of History_ ’ into his phone’s GPS. 

Magnus had finally caught up, watching him whizz past with bewilderment. Kravitz hoped he would take his request seriously and deliver the medical report as quickly as he could. If he drove all day, he could get there in time to hide in a bathroom until the staff left for the night. 

No better time to hold a seance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah this took forever. Hope it's worth the wait! Some information about Kravitz and Magnus and Taako!


	14. Look at This Photograph, Can't Believe I'm Quoting Nickelback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A talk with a sister to stall a talk with a boss.

Evading gossip the night before had been easy. Taako woke up, sprawled across his bed and tangled in his sheets. He had a vague recollection of a dream about lazily kissing Kravitz on the beach. It had been odd, almost, with a different quality to it than his dreams usually had. Sitting up straighter, he found a hand mirror on his side table and tilted it towards himself. His eyes were glowing faintly in the reflection. The glow faded rapidly and his eyes shifted from cat-like to humanoid. 

Taako sighed and flicked his fangs. He thought it was enough to have fresh blood, he didn’t think it was fair that the cravings worsened when he slept, too. Frowning around the fangs poking out of his mouth, he set the mirror aside.

Checking his phone, he had only a few pissed off texts from Lup, which he thought was fair, and an interesting one from Magnus, “`Checked on your boyfriend. Not a thrall. Weird guy. Director wants to see you and Lup and Barry when you wake up. :)`” Taako dropped his phone back onto his bedside table and rolled over to scream into his pillow out of frustration. 

It was one thing for Lup and Barry to know. An entirely different matter for the company president to make time in her busy schedule to scold them. She knew scolding Taako wouldn’t work, so she was going to scold Lup and Barry for not watching him to make him feel absolutely wretched. 

Taako stretched and freed himself from his pillows. He squinted as he turned on the lights in the bathroom, showering quickly. The longer the Director waited, the angrier she would be. 

Lup was sitting on his bed when he emerged from the bathroom. “Seriously, Taako? What the _hell_ were you even thinking?” 

Well, Taako couldn’t avoid her either. He slipped into his closet to change. “Listen, I thought it would be safer. No one noticed besides Barry,” he replied casually, closing the door to his closet most of the way so they could talk through the gap. The hope was to redirect the conversation, not engage it seriously. “The director wants to see us as soon as I’m dressed, so if we could postpone this fight until after -.”

“I’m not talking about that!” Her frustration rang through loud and clear, making Taako flinch. She lowered her voice and her face softened, looking down at her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Taako ducked back inside the closet, dressing in the first suit he laid his hands on. “How many times has he threatened to kill you? This isn’t a game like usual. _You_ came up with the plan. Why aren’t you sticking to it? Cancelling dates, getting yourself alone with him, not telling us he wanted to meet up with you -. Koko, what are you _doing_?” 

Lup sounded so distressingly helpless that Taako squeezed his eyes shut and thumped his head against the doorway. He’d been so caught up in the flurry of feeling that he hadn’t even told her about Kravitz pledging to solve his case. Adjusting his tie, he opened the door and sat beside her on the bed. “Lup, I’m sorry for not -. There’s a _lot_ going on,” he said softly. She kept looking down at her hands, face pinched with worry. “We talked a couple nights ago, I swear I was safe. It was over the phone, even. He, uh, he wants to solve my case and prove I’m innocent,” he announced the last part with sing-song cheer, trying to catch her eye. 

She looked up at him disbelievingly and a touch concerned. “Tell me exactly what happened, Taako. Before we have to face the Director. What if she -?” 

Taako beat her to the punchline. “She won’t kick us out over a handjob on a beach, Lulu,” he snickered. After a pause, he added, “Be an interestin’ story of why I left the last company I was with.” She snorted and turned towards him, giving the go-ahead with her hand. “Uh, well, the bar thing was an accident. Unrelated, yanno. He kinda showed up on his own. I told him to go away. He went home with this guy I’d been hittin’ on all night,” he threw his hands up dramatically, making her laugh. “And then, and then, and then -!” He went on, thumping at the bed, voice raising to complain loudly, “Calls me in the morning to make sure I closed the damn _curtains_.Then! Texts me at work and wants to meet up with me to ask me _questions_.”

“The park,” she guessed, leaning back on the bed. 

“We talked for awhile and -,” Taako tried to keep up the theatrics, but the conversation had been too personal. “It got a little serious,” he admitted, hugging himself and looking off at his vanity table. After a moment, he crossed the room and grabbed his brush, running it through his hair. Lup waited patiently for him to continue. “He asked me if I loved Sazed.” There was a noise of either surprise or sympathy from Lup. Taako tried not to linger on which it could be. “I - I told him about Benny, sis. And asked what he thought. He said I uhm, I still - that he thought I still loved Sazed,” he went on softly, feeling the bruises from each awful stumble of his words. “I left when he asked if Sazed ever loved me,” the hairbrush paused in his hair for a moment, then he went on, a little more rough than necessary. 

“The beach was another surprise. Felt kind of lame to leave the conversation like that, yanno, so I -,” Taako cut himself off as Lup wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug, picking him up a couple inches. He grunted and wiggled his feet uselessly, “Hey hey, put me down, you bully!” 

She laughed and sat him back down on his feet. Taako turned around with a halfhearted glare. Lup pulled him into a proper hug; Taako let it happen, putting his forehead on her shoulder and squeezing his eyes shut. “You’re my baby brother, Koko, you can cry like one,” she said knowingly, with a little pat on his shoulder. 

He choked on a laugh, but shook his head, stepping back. She watched him go with a sad smile. “Nope,” he protested, slapping either of his cheeks. “Not when we’re about to go to the Director. Might need to pull out all the water works for this one, bubala,” he deflected with a titter. 

“The beach,” she supplied, sitting down on the vanity bench. 

Taako started pacing, still brushing his hair. “We talked, I bit him, that’s about it,” he summarized, jerking harder than necessary at a knot. 

“And you made it into a sex thing according to Barry. The guy already hates monsters and you do that whole vampire bite seduction thing. I know you were hungry -,” she sounded exasperated, frustrated, and offended all at once. 

“It wasn’t like that,” Taako interrupted, waving his hands. “Look, I sort of maybe yeah told him to feed me if he came, but I _swear_ I didn’t once ask. He brought me wine instead. Said he heard it helped vampires with hunger.” 

“Aw,” she commented, smiling briefly. Taako felt heat creeping up his neck and averted his eyes with a snort. “Still, Koko, you did _bite_ him. And it was a sex thing. Which, no judgement, but gross.”

Taako hummed in response and ducked back into the closet to grab a pair of shoes. “You can’t say no judgement and then say gross, sis,” he said pointedly. 

“It had to have been weird,” Lup persisted. Taako emerged looking crisp and professional, sitting at his vanity table. She stood up and grabbed the brush from him, starting to pull his hair back. “I mean, I’m trying to imagine one of the coven thralls turning a bite into a sex thing and I _can’t_ ,” she frowned at him in the mirror. “The last person I bit was like six hundred years ago. It was Faha’uen.”

“Faha’uen was which -? Oh. The crier,” he sympathized. Taako remembered her as a reedy woman who startled as easily as a rabbit, but couldn’t quite recall her face. Their Aunt had told them to be kind to her for not all covens were kind. More than anything, he recalled being startled and horrified when their Aunt had called Faha’uen _lucky_ for her patron dying. While he’d never been a thrall, it take him years to realize his Aunt’s thrall was not actually her daughter and that the man she affectionately told them to call Uncle had been her patron. 

Lup paused, frowning blankly down at the vanity. “She flinched before you even took a bite! Then she cried the _whole_ time. I always gave her a hug afterwards until she calmed down,” she sighed, sweeping Taako’s hair into a bun. The coven had adopted medical bloodletting shortly after Faha’uen had joined them.

Taako laughed and started working on his foundation. “Okay, yeah it was weird,” he relented with a hand wave. “He didn’t _cry_ , he uh,” he paused, waving his hand vaguely. Taako wasn’t sure how Lup interpreted that, but she seemed to take some meaning from it.

“Why’d you do it?” She started pressing bobby pins into the stray wisps of hair, watching Taako’s expression in the mirror. 

“Uh, tryin’ somethin’ new, I guess, bubala,” he tittered awkwardly. This was a good place to change the subject. “How many people did Barry tell?”

“I think you may have traumatized him a little, bro,” she snickered. 

“If the umbrella is rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’,” he replied solemnly. “I’ll remember to spare a line or two about this great tragedy in his eulogy. ‘And ‘lo, did he look upon a job of hands and it did look back.’” He sat up straighter, hand over his heart, sniffing dramatically.

Lup giggled and patted at the bun in his hair. “He’s already dead, ya dingus,” she laughing, shaking her head.

“Exactly,” he exclaimed, opening his mouth and trying to force his fangs to retract by poking them. “He’s, uh, gimme a sec,” he mumbled, still poking. He sat back, frowning, when they wouldn’t budge. This hadn’t been a problem for him since his first couple decades as a vampire. 

“Oh,” Lup jeered, leaning forward and poking at one of his fangs. Taako swatted her hand away, annoyed. “You got it _bad_ ,” she teased, sliding onto the bench next to him.

At his age, he knew it would be obvious to every vampire who saw him that he had his eye on someone. Taako wondered if this was karma for laughing at Lup when she couldn’t put her fangs away for a week after she started dating Barry. He rubbed at a cheek self-consciously. “What can I say,” he deflected with a smirk. “I think the pictures we got from Intel speak for themselves.” He hesitated, putting down his tube of lipstick. “Never happened with Sazed.”

Lup stuck a flower in Taako’s hair, putting a hand on his shoulder. “That’s because Sazed was a petty asshole who murdered forty people and framed you because he didn’t get the spotlight,” she shrugged. “And if I ever see him on the street, I’ll rip his throat out and feed it to Magnus and Julia while Merle laughs. This is a blood pact we’ve made. The Director gave us her blessing.” She nodded imperiously, then leaned down and squeezed Taako’s shoulder as he laughed. “Don’t overthink it, Taako.”

“Listen, Lup, I hear ya. At least I’m goin’ in knowin’ this guy’s an asshole,” he smirked, going back to putting his lipstick on. 

“So, you’re goin’ in,” she said carefully, tracing the edge of the vanity. 

Taako paused and started putting away his make-up. “I don’t know?” He admitted, honestly, leaning against Lup’s side. “I guess we didn’t _just_ talk last night.” 

“I knew that,” she laughed, nudging him with her shoulder. Taako guffawed and sat back up. “Listen to me for a sec, okay?” That was the sign of a difficult conversation. He bit his lip and nodded with a sigh.

She scooted closer on the bench and grabbed one of the selfies from Taako’s mirror. It was blurry around the edges, Lup and Taako making faces into the camera with Angus, both of them holding their ice cream over top of the kid’s head. Arm around Taako’s waist was some guy, he thought his name might have been Michael or Miguel, standing far enough apart from Taako that only half his face was even in the photo. She unpinned another photo, of them with a sandcastle, Barry’s ghostly form perched maniacally at the top of a seashell tower. Taako and Lup had their fangs playfully bared, Taako’s hand already crushing an edge of the wall. At the edge was some flavor Taako had picked up and couldn’t remember the name of. Another of them kissing Julia on either cheek while she held Magnus damsel style and he gasped dramatically at the camera, the twins being careful not to step on the train of her wedding dress. Standing awkwardly in the background was the pretty face Taako had brought along as an accessory. Honestly, Taako hadn’t remembered he was there until Lup tapped a finger on him. 

“This guy, _Kravitz_ , he’s not -,” Lup sighed and ran her fingers over the photos. “None of these guys really knew you, Taako. Gods, I can’t even -,” she stopped, finger over the guy at the wedding photo. “I don’t even know this guy’s _name_ ,” she laughed and Taako tittered along with her, smiling down at the photos. He kept them up because they all caught him at his best angle. “I think I spoke, I dunno, maybe two words to any of them?” She sighed, tapping each photo. “They were just _Taako’s boyfriend_. None of them _mattered_.” Taako’s gaze followed Lup’s to the one portrait of Benny, framed and sitting on top of a tower of makeup drawers. It was a picture of a much larger painting he kept in storage. Lup reached for it now, bringing it to the center of the table. 

“Are you sure you _want_ Kravitz to matter enough that he’s worth the danger?” 

Taako took her words like a slap across the face. He knew, of course, she hadn’t meant to hurt him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight enough that he didn’t think about how shallow his breathing was. Lup was right, usually, and she wasn’t wrong about this, either. 

“I’m sorry, Taako, I didn’t mean -,” she started, voice thick with worry.

“No, it’s -. We had a good time, Lulu,” he said softly, drumming his nails. “He’s gorgeous. He listens to Broadway musicals.” She snorted and loosened her grip, watching Taako’s face. “We danced. _Fun_ dancin’, sis. Stupid, reserved for getting drunk at home _danced_. He tripped and fell on me and we just _laughed_ and I -,” he felt something swelling in his chest as he spoke and caught the brilliant gleam of his eyes in the mirror. “A kiss has never made me ache like that,” the confession was said to his reflection as he forced himself to say that much out loud. He would lie to plenty of people, but not to himself. Not to Lup.

“Koko,” she whispered, voice so softly sad that it made Taako feel pin pricks in the corners of his eyes.

Taako clapped his hands together, startling Lup. “Right! Enough talk,” he gushed with fake cheer. He stood up quickly, grabbing his keys from his dresser. “The Director is waiting. Is Barold the Gossip Ghost ready?” 

She moved past him slowly, pausing with her hand on the doorknob, “Koko, neither of us have ever been alone. It doesn’t change now.” Lup held a pinky up to him and he shook it with his own, smiling softly. “Give me his number. I wanna give him the shovel talk,” she laughed, shaking out her hair. 

Taako swallowed, searching her face. Slowly, he reached into pocket and sent her the contact card. “Thanks,” she hummed, giving him a half-hug. She pushed the door open and darted out, tackling Barry who had been reading on the couch. 

Lup had met Benny two weeks before he died. She’d taken his frail hand in hers and told him she saw why Taako liked him so much. Benny had patted her cheek with a laugh that turned into a wheezing cough. He’d asked to meet her, in one of his more lucid moments, “ _the last piece of you, Taako, please_ ,” and Taako had brought her from their apartment downstairs.

“ _You should’ve seen me when I was younger. You’d really get it then._ ” 

She had never met Sazed. 

Taako kept his pinky up, listening to them laugh as he turned his eyes to the last hues of the sunset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look another chapter! I haven't decided the order of the next two chapters yet, but hopefully those will be up soon. Along with Lucretia.
> 
> Also! I wrote this teensy, future story of the boys attending a wedding in Vegas on Twitter. It's rough and mostly unedited. Spoilers for future chapters, but some of you might find it interesting. Check out, "[Dumb Monsters Get Drunk Married](https://pastebin.com/NM3Q6WdS)".


	15. You Want Ghosts? This is How You Get Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bargain echoed inside a flatscreen.

The baby monitor crackled to life with an awed coo. David kept it to his ear, hood and eyes low as he dodged the evening’s foot traffic. He paused in front of the door to the little corner store with its closed sign hanging below the cheerful logo that read, ‘ _Glamorous Antiquities and Gifts_.’ The bell rang over the door as he entered, but it was hidden by the news playing somewhere in the back.

“ _... with that win, The Fightin’ Spriggins have been invited to play their bitter rivals, The St. Pier Pumas, at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos…_ ”

David sat the baby monitor on a table and went to the windows, pulling the shades shut.

“ _... Tonight’s top story has been all over the national headlines, but hits close to home. Lup Amaiat, convicted in 1981 of tampering with evidence…_ ”

He pulled his gun from the bag slung over his shoulder and adjusted the silencer. It wouldn’t help, but he prayed it would buy him just enough time.

“ _... has been pardoned of all crimes, including her escape from prison, following a court’s decision…_ ”

He crept to the back of the shop, the TV nearly deafening the closer he got. Carefully and slowly, he pulled the door open, its creak lost in the blare.

“ _... brother, Taako Amaiat, are currently unknown. If any…_ ”

David passed a display of service awards and a golden nurse hat. The old woman was asleep in the chair in front of her television. 

“ _... to local news, The Reaper has come to town! Bounty hunter Macallister Kravitz was given a tour…_ ”

He slid over to the safe and put his ear against it turning the crank slowly and listening for its clicks with his eyes shut tightly. The TV almost completely masked the sound, but he could barely hear what he needed to. Not for the first time, David thanked the gods he was not human. No, not gods, not anymore, he reminded himself. There was only one god that mattered among them.

“ _... for stopping the Ghoul Revolt of 1983 in sister city of Glimmer Springs…_ ”

David opened the safe and pulled out every document he could get his hands on. He didn’t know what he needed, they didn’t tell him, only that it was in there.

“You’re making a mistake.”

“ _... David, don’t listen to her._ ”

The sound of his name had him snapping his head around in attention. The old woman was awake, glaring at him from her chair, the snakes in her hair hissing in annoyance. The news anchor was similarly glaring at David from the screen. His eyes darted between them as he hugged the documents to his chest. 

“He’s a smooth talker, nothin’ more,” she growled, grabbing her cane to rise to her feet gracefully. The snakes in her hair swayed forward blindly, like they wanted to bite him. She flipped off the TV without once glancing at it. 

Silence settled over the room, louder and more invasive than the TV had been. David decided to run, but he tripped on a loose floorboard that hadn’t been there before. The papers scattered across the room and he scrambled to grab at them.

“What bargain has he struck to convince you?”

David didn’t look at her, still trying to put the papers back together one handed in a blur of panic and tears. His thoughts went automatically to the wonder of hearing his daughter awake, cooing and giggling without a trace of cough. 

Many people do not get good, final thoughts to follow them past the Veil. At least, David had that much before a snake struck him in the neck. The old woman neatened the pile of papers in the stack, putting them back atop the fake bottom of the safe. 

“Damn shame,” she murmured, lighting a cigarette and coughing. She blew smoke from her nose and tapped ashes on the corpse. Out of all the omens they had been hoping for, this was likely the best. 

“Ren,” she shouted up the stairs. “Ren, c’mon!” Ren slithered downstairs, rubbing her eyes and glaring. “That damn fool is gettin’ scared, you need to call up Lucretia and tell her it’s the Amaiats.”

Ren groaned and slumped against the wall. “Only damn fool here is you, you ol’ bat. It is three a clock in the dang mornin’,” it was said with far too much affection to be stern. 

She picked up the phone hanging on the wall. It only rang once before Ren relayed her message in hissing static.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm! Making that weird off-shoot chapter not seem so weird, I hope.


	16. Hey, I Just Met You and This is Crazy, but Get Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ghost with answers and anger issues.

Dusk was only threatening the once bustling town of Glamour Springs. Kravitz turned down his music and let his car idle in the parking lot while he checked his phone for the closing time again. Considering the museum was, apparently, half a library, it was open later than he’d normally expect. 

Kravitz turned his car off and shuffled through the things he needed for the ritual. Salt, chalk, feathers, holy water, candles, lavender, and a knife. He slipped it all into a small briefcase with his computer. Slinging it over his shoulder, he approached the old TV studio.

There are certain places like the creaking museum that reek of _something_ else. Their aura grabs passersby with tendrils of shivers and remind people that they are only people, with a ticking clock of mortality. Kravitz’s breath ghosted into the sweltering reception room. He surveyed his surroundings, eyes adjusting to the dusty darkness. 

The reception room of the Glamour Springs Museum of History looked like a travel agency that had been taken over by very enthusiastic hippies. Its garish assault on any sense of aesthetic helped to dissuade the oppressive creeping feeling that the building exuded. The attendant at the ticket booth blended into her surroundings, in a tie-dye shirt and an old peace sign tattoo across her forearm. Her forked tongue flicked out, focused on her book.

 _Cockatrice_ , Kravitz thought automatically, taking in the feathered sweep of her hair. He cleared his throat and put on his best charm. She looked up at him, blinking through her thick glasses. “I’d like one -,” he started, sliding a five across the counter.

“Sorry dear, we’re closed,” she interrupted, turning back to the pages of her book.

Kravitz closed his mouth and checked his phone. The museum wasn’t closed for another two hours. His eyes dropped to her brightly colored name-tag. “Paloma, the website said -,” he tried, trying to keep a plea out of his voice. 

She looked back up with a sigh. “I know, it’s tricky business. It’s very important we’re closed today, though, you see,” she said sympathetically, patting his hand in a motherly way.

Kravitz, who did not see at all, stared at her in confusion. “Why?”

“An important guest,” she enthused, smiling at him brightly. “The Grim Reaper.” She nodded like she had not said something absolutely disturbing. Kravitz was starting to think the creeping air of disquiet was emanating from this woman. Seeing his expression, she laughed. “I guess you _are_ here because you’re unfamiliar with local history,” she explained warmly, voice shifting into a lecture. “In 1983, there was a bunch of ghouls who took farmers hostage in -.”

“Glimmer Springs,” Kravitz finished for her. She gave him an approving nod. “You mean Macallister Kravitz,” he went on thoughtfully, not letting any fear show on his face. There was no way anyone should have known he was coming. “Why would you expect him to come _here_?”

“He’s an old man by now, I’m sure,” she said vaguely, bookmarking her page and shutting the book. “Old men like to relive their glory days.”

Given that Kravitz would be ninety-five in a week, he thought it would be unfair to take offense. That she had expected him, but didn’t even know what he looked like made it all the more intriguing. “I’ve heard of it, but you sound like you’re unsure. He hasn’t scheduled anything?”

Paloma shook her feathered hair and sighed deeply. “Istus told me a few days ago to expect her girlfriend’s servant,” she replied with a little quirk of her mouth. “Not in so many words, you know how gods are, but that was the general idea.” Kravitz realized she didn’t expect him to believe her. 

Unfortunately, Kravitz did. It settled into his stomach with a deep knot of anxiety. Shakily, Kravitz held out his hand, palm up. The ring glinted oddly under the flourescent lights. He shivered as the old scar, barely visible most days, flared white under the sweep of Paloma’s gaze which turned an empty white as if to match it. For a moment, Kravitz heard himself speaking, but had no idea what he was saying. Paloma said something in return, which Kravitz also did not understand, then it all faded. He jerked his hand down to his side. 

It wasn’t the first time he’d played an unwitting courier for the Fates. He doubted it would be the last, but it never ceased to set him on edge. It was more disturbing to know that it wasn’t even The Raven Queen possessing him, but some sort of automatic message she had more or less installed any of a number of the times he communed with her or entered a temple. She took messages from him then, too, his hand glowing white when he bowed his head. 

Paloma cleared her throat. “Quite a way to pass love letters, hm?” She smiled and Kravitz appreciated her trying to clear the awkwardness. 

“I really hope that’s not _all_ they’re doing,” he laughed nervously, rubbing his jaw. “I’m going to be honest with you, I’m here to to hold a seance.” Kravitz flashed a grin and patted his bag. 

“I thought it’d be something like that,” she sighed, gesturing vaguely. “They’re angry and very confused, the ghosts. Most still think they’re at the show. Be gentle, will you?”

Kravitz thought to take offense, as Paloma knew he was a servant of The Raven Queen, but decided to refrain. He gave her a simple nod and pushed past the doors to the rest of the museum. 

Inside looked much less like a rainbow bomb had gone off than the reception had been. Kravitz was glad for it, as it had started to make his head hurt and eyes ache. It was still dimly cheery, but dedicated more to the outrageous local history of the little town. 

In his opinion, the town didn’t seem much different from the old photos if the parts he'd driven through were any indication. Hit shows and blockbuster movies had been made in the once flourishing town that Hollywood had feared would replace it. All that was left of its time under the spotlight was housed inside the studio where its promise had died along with forty people.

There was a kind of poetry there that Kravitz tried not to think about too hard while passing the glass displays of old props, costumes, and wax figures. A deeper burden had rested on this town from its early history. He’d felt it even as far as Glimmer Springs. 

Kravitz paused in front of a mummified ghoul head, fingers smudging the glass. The place of the other was held by a sign that said, ‘ _Out for research and study!_ ’, with a cartoonish drawing of a talking head. Next to it was The Scythe. 

He hadn’t dared touch it since. 

Kravitz moved on quickly when it rattled against the pegs that kept it upright, as if it would break through the glass to get to him. There were more displays, but he ignored them all for the main attraction. It was still set up for a cooking show, the outlines of bodies drawn in white paint. The countertops were protected in glass, but it was otherwise free to walk into and look around. The bleachers held wooden nameplates of all those who had attended that final show.

Slowly, Kravitz went over to a plaque next to where the audience had sat and skimmed its contents. Almost everyone who had died was a born resident of the town, a special show in honor of the founding and most of its workers local. It was no wonder they dedicated so much of the museum to what was essentially a memorial. 

The other displays held newspaper clippings that Kravitz had in his own journal. He frowned at a mugshot of Taako who only looked bewildered and scared. His face had significantly more damage than the final show playing on loop on a monitor hanging over the set. Kravitz had never liked officers who caused collateral damage during an arrest. It was usually because the officer thought someone deserved it rather than any need for the extra force. There was little doubt in his mind that Taako hadn’t put up much of a fight. 

Kravitz pulled out his black chalk and began working on the circle he needed for the ritual. It took him the better part of an hour before he was placing black candles at each of the points and lighting them. He settled the rest of his supplies aside and went to the wall, flipping all of the switches. 

It didn’t seem so hot anymore. A chill had set into the room; Kravitz could see each puff of his breath as he carefully made his way to the center of the circle. The candles flickered dangerously and barely pooled any light farther than their flame. Darkness pressed against Kravitz like it was shoving his shoulders and chest.

He laid a raven feather in his hand and picked up the silver knife, cutting a shallow line perpendicular across his palm. Each half of the feather practically soaked up his blood. He dropped them on top of the lavender covered plate and bound his hand with a bandage quickly. It all burned together in cool blue flames, eating the lavender and feather to ash. 

An elven man was staring at him in horror. Kravitz’s eyes dropped to his obviously homemade t-shirt which read, ‘ _Taako keeps it Hot_ ’, and was momentarily overwhelmed by secondhand embarrassment. If Kravitz had been convicted to spend all eternity in that shirt, he’d be angry, too. 

“What are you doing?!” The ghost exclaimed, gesturing to the candles and circle. A glance around told Kravitz that he was properly in how these spirits saw this world. No displays or plaques, cameramen staring blankly into their equipment, audience a smudge of vague faces frozen in cheerful applause. 

He stood up and brushed his pants off. “There’s a horror movie using the set after this,” he said with a smile, trying to remember what movies had come out in the late seventies. If he was honest, he didn’t remember much of that entire decade and was probably better for it. “It’s _A Girl and Her Fangs_ ,” he said hopefully, looking to see if the man recognized the title. 

The ghost’s ears perked up and he smiled. “Oh, I’ve heard of that. My cousin is working the spotlights for it. Small world,” he replied marginally more warm than he had been. 

“I’m looking for the producer, Sazed Young? I need him to show me a few things,” Kravitz gestured around, looking at the ghost curiously. 

“The show is about to start. He’s probably in the back,” the elf said quickly, gesturing to the set. “I should get to my seat!” 

Kravitz watched him dart up the stairs, noticing there were other ghosts talking to the vague-faced audience members. They never once moved or changed their places. Music started somewhere above, a cheerful tune to signal the start of the show. He turned in time to see an approximation of Taako charge out of the back, grinning from ear-to-ear. This, Kravitz realized, was a time loop. 

None of the ghosts would have the sense to understand what had happened to them because they didn’t understand they were dead. The one he had disturbed had probably only been shocked because Kravitz was _so_ different. Carefully, he paced in front of the crowd, but none of them spared him the slightest flicker of attention. He had a sinking feeling this wouldn’t be as helpful as he’d been wishing it would be. Still, he could glean _some_ information from their collective memories of the events. 

Behind Kravitz there was a shout of, “Murderer!” 

The energy turned at once from anticipation to anger, but Taako went on just as he had on the monitors above the set. A woman ran from the back, scattering bowls and plates that crashed against the glass displays, momentarily visible. The vague Taako kept going, heedless of her interruption. 

Kravitz blinked, turning around to see the other ghosts were still staring forward with bright, starry eyes, as unaware of the woman as the fake Taako was. Paloma, he recalled, had only said _most_ thought they were still at the show. The woman looked up, baring her teeth in her anger, but froze the second she caught a glance at Kravitz. 

Kravitz waved at her awkwardly. 

She sprinted over to his side and bunched the fabric of his shirt. “You’re not -. You’re alive,” she whispered disbelievingly. 

Kravitz put his hands over hers and forcibly pulled them off his person. “Yes, but I have a bit of a time limit. Could you tell me who you are?” 

“My name is Olivia, Olivia Norman,” she mumbled, covering her face. 

Kravitz was starting to wonder what it was about him that made people cry. He put his hands on her shoulders and patted them in a stilted attempt at comfort, trying to remember why her name sounded so familiar. “Taako’s manager,” he said aloud when it clicked.

Her face turned from sad to furious, stabbing her finger towards the fake Taako accusingly. “Yes, that _bastard_ poisoned me,” she snarled, a tempest swelling in the room. “Useless, shiftless, lazy, good-for-nothing, talentless, long-toothed -,” she ranted, the wind raising with each insult.

Kravitz winced, hand jerking to his chest at the pin pricks burning his skin. He glanced back at his body, appearing momentarily as it slumped forward in the wind. His phone slipped out of his pocket and skidded across the floor. Luckily, only embers from the lavender had singed him and he hadn’t actually caught on fire. “Olivia, please, focus. You want justice, right?” 

She took a deep breath, the wind calming with the intake. “I do,” she said fiercely, crossing her arms tightly. 

“Show me why you think Taako is the murderer,” Kravitz pressed firmly. 

The set faded back to what was actually in the museum and Olivia gestured to the newspaper clippings. “Isn’t it enough?” Her lips formed a thin, disapproving line. 

“He was on death row. Clearly, it wasn’t,” Kravitz answered, briefly distracted at the silver glow of his own ghostly hand. It was a little disorienting, but it faded back to the set as Olivia seemed to flag with a stubborn grunt of disagreement. 

“Then escaped two days later,” she growled, turning back to the vague Taako putting something in the oven with a flourish. 

Kravitz sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. If she was as sure as she was pretending to be, she would have moved on in those two days. This was something deeper that Kravitz would have to convince her to lay whatever doubts she had bare. That could take time he didn’t really have. 

His phone started vibrating across the floor. They both looked at it. Kravitz cleared his throat and gestured towards it. “Do you mind -?”

“No, no, go ahead,” she answered, clearly annoyed. “I’m dead and have been stuck here for almost forty years. Got all of eternity.”

Kravitz knelt next to the phone and poked blindly at it until it answered, belatedly realizing it was a call from Taako. This would not go well. “Hey, uhm, sort of busy, I’ll call you back,” Kravitz shouted into the physical plane. 

“ _Wait, homie, gotta -_ ,” Taako started, staticy and strange as Kravitz stabbed at the end call button. He could feel Olivia looming behind him. 

“Taako?” Her voice sounded loud and _dark_. 

Kravitz froze, then he ran without turning around, diving back into his body. He rolled over and grabbed his bags, glad to see the candles had already snuffed out. Scrambling for the faint glow of his phone, he flicked on the flashlight as soon as he reached it. 

The candles flared back to life as Kravitz turned, Olivia standing in the center, blood dripping from her eyes. 

“ _What the fuck is going on?_ ” 

Taako’s voice snapped Kravitz back into action. He darted out of the room, tossing handfuls of salt over his shoulder to slow her down, the crash and clang of breaking glass echoing after him. A roar followed, shadows brushing his ankles as they tried to grab him. Kravitz burst into the reception room and grabbed a bar of metal conveniently placed to slide through the door handles. 

He collapsed against the doors panting for breath, but they held despite the furious banging on the other side. “ _Kravitz!_ ” 

Kravitz’s eyes drifted to his phone. Taako had almost sounded _scared_. “I’m fine,” he mumbled into it. “I told you it wasn’t a good time.”

“ _Don’t step foot into that studio. Or, yanno, be surprised I know you’re heading_ there _since you’re sorta on our radar, thug_ ,” Taako warned vehemently. 

Kravitz laughed bitterly and rested his head on his knees. “Let me guess, there’s angry ghosts?” His voice was dry and humorless. 

“ _Yeah._ ”

Kravitz hung up and stood shakily on his feet. Paloma smiled sadly across the room at him and offered him a plate of cookies. “She doesn’t stay mad too long,” she offered cheerfully. 

He nibbled on a cookie with a look of shame. “I’m sorry,” he said, genuinely. 

She shrugged and sat the plate on the ticket booth. “I have a bed ready for you downstairs. Don’t worry, it’s safe,” she assured him, with a gesture to a door that must have been the stairs to the basement. 

Kravitz laughed weakly and finished the cookie. “Istus told you I’d fail on the first try, too? Really sees ahead,” he said lightly, picking up his bag and checking his laptop briefly for damage. 

“No, a bit of intuition on my part,” Paloma replied with a sympathetic smile. Kravitz winced, poking at the burnt holes in his shirt. “Oh, don’t feel bad. I’ve been cohabitating with Olivia for thirty odd years now. Didn’t expect you to win her over in one go, Mr. Reaper.” 

Kravitz was too tired to take offense. He took his essentials downstairs, which was apparently where Paloma lived. There was what she had called a guest wing, where she directed him to a room to use.

“Nearly threw my back out pushing those together and settling some larger sheets over it,” she complained, waving him in. 

Kravitz sat his two bags down and kicked off his shoes. “Thank you, really. One would have been fine,” he mumbled, already tugging off his shirt. 

She grinned, lingering in the doorway. He thought he heard her mumble something under her breath.

“What?” 

“Goodnight,” she replied cheerfully, closing the door behind herself.

Kravitz sighed deeply and had hardly hit the bed before he fell asleep. 

His phone flashed with a series of texts and missed calls. He wouldn’t see them for another day as he slept off the over-exertion of his magic. 

“`Yes, angry ghosts!! Don’t go!!!`”

“`I’m serious!! You’ll get ghost murdered if she knows you know me!!!`”

“`Godsdamnit you stupid fuckin big idiot!! I hate you! PICK UP YOUR FUCKIN PHONE`”

“`PICK UP PICK UP PICK UP PICK UP`” 

“`Stay where you are omw`”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look! It's another chapter! For you? For you!
> 
> This, unfortunately, doesn't answer many questions, but it should.


	17. Merle Got His Party Points in Greece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise that ends, well, surprisingly.

The office of The Director of the Bureau of Balance was a place that few wanted to spend any length of time in. This was, Lup thought, because Lucretia’s primary duties consisted of scolding people for doing something stupid. Taako had put on his usual theatrics, but his hand around her wrist told another story that he wouldn’t say aloud. 

She’d been angry, of course she had. Sometimes, Taako seemed to forget to step back and _think_ , not just rely on his intuition. Still, she was his sister, not his mother. Taako had decided this was what he wanted; a scary, relentless bounty hunter. With a pretty face, of course. 

Lup had her doubts in his tastes.

Davenport stepped out of the office, little hooves clicking on the tiles, a stack of papers in hand. Something he always seemed to have. “The Director will see you now,” he said plainly, stepping aside from the door. 

Lup’s ears flicked towards the sound of Taako’s gulp. Barry, ever sensitive to their moods, was feeding off their anxiety. His hands shook as they stood and filed into the spacious office, taking a seat at the three chairs. She sat between Taako and Barry, knowing exactly who both would lean on when they needed to.

Lucretia swiveled around in her chair. “Do you know what you have done?” 

“We’re -,” Taako blurted nervously. Lup elbowed him in the ribs gently and he shut his mouth. 

The Director stood, looming over them from across her desk. Then, her face split into a grin. A sudden explosion behind them sent Lup’s heart stuttering into panic. She grabbed Taako and Barry’s hands, dragging them with her over the desk. Alarmed, Lucretia dodged out of the way and they huddled under the desk. Without thinking, she swept Lucretia’s legs from under her, using magic to keep her from hitting the ground hard, and dragged her under, too. 

“Magnus!”

“It keeps them on their toes,” someone answered defensively. 

“Well, damn it,” someone complained. 

Lucretia was shaking and it took Lup a moment to realize she was laughing, hand over her mouth. “It’s okay!” Angus poked his head under the desk and Lup realized there was no danger. She sprawled out across the floor in relief as The Director went to her feet gracefully, still laughing. 

“Sorry, sirs and ma’ams, dad got a little too excited about the confetti,” Angus apologized, stepping away so they could get out. 

Glancing back at Barry, Lup realized he’d turned into a little puff of a spirit. “Aw, honey,” she laughed, rolling over and pulling him to her chest. There was a banner hanging over her head and confetti still drifting lazily to the ground. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine, just need a, uh, not a breath, but a break,” Barry reassured her, his form pulsing with the words against her hand. He drifted down into the gem of her necklace.

Taako crawled out, still wide and cat-eyed. Taking a breath, he managed to blink them back to normal. She could still feel the slight burning running up her arm from his fear, but she had no doubt he was feeling the same thing along his own stress stripes from her. He tilted his head back and squinted at the banner. “‘Happy Pardoning, Lup’?”

Magnus, Julia, Davenport, Angus, Carey, Killian, Jenkins, Sloane, and so many other gathered around the edges of her vision. Lucretia smiled down at them. “You were pardoned today, Lup,” she explained with a wave of her hand. “This was supposed to be more of a celebration than cause for alarm for either of you.”

It took her a minute to parse what was happening. The words felt like they shouldn’t make sense, but ever so slightly, she felt a weight fall away from her shoulders. She sat up and dove at Taako, hugging him tightly.

He startled again, then they were both crying and hugging each other. “We’re free! We’re free!” She shouted in exhilaration. 

“It’s just you, sis,” he sniffled, wiping his nose on her shoulder. 

“Yeah, but it won’t be long for you, right?” She whispered, sitting back to look Taako in the face. 

He smiled back and looked away, “Yeah, uh huh.” The joy in Lup’s heart dimmed as she heard the lie for what it was. He wiped at more of his face and stood up, helping her to her feet. “You all should be ashamed of yourselves for scarin’ a couple of innocent vampires and a ghost,” he said with mock sternness, glaring around the room. 

There was relieved laughter from their gathered coworkers. The party broke into groups, enjoying cake and drinks. Lup lost track of Taako in the hubbub, drifting between the different groups wishing her well in her freedom. 

“Any plans for what comes next?” Lydia asked with a flourish of her hand. Lup had been asked this in one form or another and had gotten used to answering.

“I joined the Bureau before being falsely imprisoned, don’t see a reason to leave it now,” she said with a smile. Glancing over at Edward and Keetz teaching Angus card tricks, she added, “Nothing happens without Taako.”

Lydia returned her smile brightly, ears flicking forward. “I understand. It’ll happen, you know, his pardon. What are your plans then?”

Lup laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, putting her hand over her necklace. “Somewhere warmer. Maybe we could move back to Texas. I want to start playing rugby with people who can actually take a hit again,” she grinned at Lydia’s wince. 

“Darling, you caught me off guard is all, won’t happen again,” Lydia promised her with a hand over her heart. Their conversation drifted into the next rugby games and if they thought they could get Lucretia to join them. 

Julia jumped into the discussion, obviously having found The Director’s whiskey stash which she offered to share; Magnus always trailing after her like a puppydog. It was easy to get lost in the fun of it, the slight buzz from the weight lifted from her with The Director’s words. 

Sometime later, Angus wandered over, wringing his little hands. He gently tugged at the hem of Lup’s dress and gestured her off to the side. She glanced around and slipped away to a quieter spot. “What is it, Ango?”

“Uhm, I went to the bathrooms and I - I know it’s not nice to eavesdrop, ma’am, but -,” he paused awkwardly. “Taako was yelling on the phone. He sounded scared.”

Lup looked around, searching for a glint of his hair, before looking back down at Angus. “What was he yelling about? It’s okay to gossip with me, Angus,” she gave him a little nudge on the shoulder.

He adjusted his glasses and smiled, but his eyes were only touched by worry. Lup knew how much hero worship her brother had from the boy, so she wasn’t surprised he seemed worried to offend him. “He kept saying, ‘hello’, and, ‘Kravitz’. I think he was trying to call Macallister Kravitz. I, uhm, I may have told him we got a report that Kravitz was spotted heading towards Glamour Springs,” he explained quickly, hardly taking a breath of air to pause. “Dad said he wanted Taako’s medical report after learning that poison was the actual CoD in the massacre. The old studio is likely to be on his list of destinations.”

Lup felt a chill slide its fingers up her spine. Taako was probably thinking the same thing she was, of the two witnesses for the dead that had died trying to commune with Olivia. She’d known she was poisoned, but she thought Taako did it. Lup had always thought Taako’s old manager was cruel and vindictive. Death had only made her less repentant. “Thanks, Angus, is Taako still there?”

Angus shook his head and pointed over to the couches. 

Taako was staring at his phone with something that might have passed for boredom to anyone else. To her, she saw the clear lines of worry and concern. It seemed she wasn’t the only one who had taken notice, Merle and Davenport trying to cheer him up by putting him in the middle of their back and forths, occasionally nudging him to get his attention. He’d look up and laugh politely.

That was what really caught Lup’s attention. She dropped herself on the other side of Merle, patting his shoulder. “I think Johann said he was takin’ requests,” she grinned. 

Merle hopped to his feet in excitement and grabbed Davenport's hand, “C’mon, we been waitin’ to show these kids how we did it in Athens all night, baby,” he said as they took off towards Johann.

She wasn’t the least bit guilty for the lie, but did feel a bit bad for both Johann and the rest of the party when he inevitably gave into their demands. Lup scooted over to Taako’s side and leaned over to catch a glance at his phone. He didn’t even try to hide the screen or that his hands were shaking faintly. Texts from Taako to Kravitz filled the screen. 

“I heard from Angus that Intel had reports of him heading to Glamour Springs,” he answered before she could ask, hand jerking through his hair. “Olivia will _kill_ him, Lup,” he whispered, fear lacing his voice. “She killed two mediators before him and -!” He cut himself and gripped his phone tighter. “I called and I swore I heard her, faintly, then these awful noises, then he hung up, and he’s not answering and -.”

Lup cut him off with a hand on his shoulder. She plucked the phone out of his hand as Taako leaned against her side and hid his face. “`Stay where you are omw`,” she typed out and set the phone back into his hands. He glanced it over, then pressed send. 

“Go pack, Koko. Make sure you bring your disguise wand, they’ll recognize you there,” she instructed. He looked up and swiped at his face angrily. 

“We can’t -,” he started.

“Who do you prefer? Julia, Magnus, Merle, and probably Angus, or Carey, Killian, and Noel? We’ll need the daytime support on this,” she interrupted, waving a hand at him.

Taako sighed and spread out across the couch, rolling his eyes. “Let’s let the dumbass die,” he sniffled, throwing his phone at the corner of the couch angrily. “I don’t even care! I bet he’d make Angus cry by lookin’ at him.”

“So the first one,” she inferred, straightening her dress as she stood. “Pack some cute stuff for me, too, huh? I’ll get all _this_ done here.”

“You mean I should pack my clothes for you,” he grumbled, picking back up his phone and checking it for messages he knew he didn’t have. She grinned, knowing that meant he’d do what she asked as soon as she turned around. 

A couple hours later, they were packed into a Bureau RV, Julia and Magnus swapping a thermos of coffee, Merle staring at a photo of Davenport and sighing gloomily, while Taako, Lup, and Barry hid in the blacked-out bedroom with Angus snoring between the twins. Barry had finally regained his regular form, thumb rubbing comforting circles in Lup’s wrist. 

“Barold, you need to make sure you tell Agnes we’re not actually dead,” Taako warned him seriously. “You’re good at talking, so it should be easy.”

Barry groaned and Lup laughed softly. “I’ve apologized a thousand times, Taako! I didn’t know Magnus was there!” 

“Mhm, mhm, mhm, sure,” Taako growled, not letting up. 

“Koko, can you forgive him only so I don’t have to listen to him apologize again?” Lup interjected with a laugh. 

“Forgive, but not forget, Casper. Forgive, but _never_ forget,” Taako hissed, eyes glowing faintly. 

Barold shuddered against her side and she patted his shoulder comfortingly. Julia cracked the door open, peeking her head, “Alright, we’re going to get going. See you at sunset, sweeties,” she smiled. 

“You sure you’re alright to drive, Jules?” Lup asked with slight concern at her stagger. 

“That is why Magnus is driving while Merle and I continue to drink Lucretia’s whiskey and keep him awake,” Julia reassured with a vague wave. Lup and Barry laughed, Taako snorting. “Magnus only had a beer, so he’s good. Not a long drive.” Lup didn’t quite hear the last part of what Julia said. “Oh, guess it’s that time. Night,” Julia grinned, shutting the door. 

Lup felt the pull of the sunrise, her blinks slowing. “Goodnight,” she murmured, already curling against Barry’s side. She heard rustling and turned over to see Taako drinking something before sleep stole her away.

“Taako, you have to sleep,” Barry hissed softly in concern. Taako grunted and his phone lit up the room as he checked it again. “Ah, geez, you’re really worried, huh?”

Taako shot him a glare, setting his phone aside. “I’m only -. Listen, bubala, I will _not_ let another person die in that fuckin’ studio, alright?” Barry blinked in disbelief at the honest answer. Taako rolled his eyes, seeming to grow more annoyed at Barry’s surprise. “Don’t be like that. You’re my family, Gossip Ghost, and Lup already gets it,” he growled, pressing the call button on his phone again. The ringing was too quiet for anyone but Taako to hear. 

“Oh,” Barry whispered, looking down at Lup. Taako set his phone back down with a flicker of anger across his face. After a beat of tense silence, Barry asked, “Absolutly nothing to do with chasing him around for two weeks and giving him a handjob last night?”

There was a noise of surprise and then a pillow smacked Barry in the face. It slowed before it sunk through him and onto the bed. “There is a literal child here, Barold Bluejeans,” Taako chastised, scandalized with a trace laughter in his voice. 

They both left it at a comfortable quiet, besides Angus’s soft snores and Taako occasionally uncorking another potion. The bags under his eyes grew heavier and heavier each time the phone light flashed across his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in one day! Whoop whoop. 
> 
> Davenport is a satyr and Merle is dryad for the curious.


	18. That's One Way to Avoid a Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako catches Kravitz in Glamour Springs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very NSFW! Includes use of sex toys, blow jobs, and god-given divine powers.

“ _Murderer!_ ”

Kravitz loomed over her, scythe in hand without a pang of pity. She lunged and he swung, but her face changed to Taako’s; the same terror and bewilderment painted across his mugshot. 

Kravitz sat up before it connected, feeling sweat dripping down his spine and forehead. He wiped a hand across his face and leaned his head on his knees. After a moment, he started to wonder why it smelled like coffee.

“I can hear your heart all the way over here, handsome. Bad dream?”

Kravitz’s eyes snapped up, hand going to grab under his pillow. He swore when he grasped at an empty space where his knife should have been. Adjusting to the darkness, he relaxed by degrees when he recognized Taako. 

Taako was sitting in a chair across the room, legs curled under him with a cup of what Kravitz assumed was coffee by the smell. He snorted and took a drink of it. 

Kravitz realized it made no sense for Taako to be there. He should have been ten hours away in Lunal. Squinting, Kravitz tried to remember exactly how last night had gone. Not good, but not because of Taako. “What are you doing here?”

“Paloma let us in. Fun fact, homie, she’s part of the Bureau,” he answered with a wave of his hand. “You’re basically in enemy territory.”

Kravitz rolled his eyes and swung his leg over the side of the bed. They both winced as the lamp light flooded the room. “It’s more than a little disconcerting to wake up and find you in my room,” he said with a pointed look between Taako and the door.

“Maybe if you would have picked up your fuckin’ phone, I wouldn’t have had to cram in the back of an RV to tell you how much of an _idiot_ you are, thug,” Taako snarled, slamming his mug onto the side table. He launched himself to his feet to stand in front of Kravitz and glared down at him with a petulant tilt to his mouth.

Kravitz scolded himself for finding it charming. He lowered his head and looked up at Taako through his eyelashes. “Worried about me that much?” Taako spluttered like an angry cat as Kravitz pushed back the rest of the sheets clinging to his sweat slicked skin.

Taako went quiet, mouth slightly open, as his eyes roamed over Kravitz’s body hungrily. Someone appreciating his body was rather mundane for Kravitz. Normally, he wouldn’t be embarrassed, but Taako kept changing things. Even with heat creeping into his cheeks, he leaned back, stretching and preening under his gaze. Finally, Taako closed his mouth and looked Kravitz in the face. “Don’t change the subject, asshole,” he groused, gesturing at him angrily. 

“You’re very easy to distract,” Kravitz laughed, smoothing back his hair. 

“Listen, my dude, I’m a big enough vampire to admit you are _very_ distractin’,” Taako said with a hint of a smile. Kravitz coughed to hide a laugh as Taako did another once over before crossing his arms and raising his chin. “You are leavin’ here tonight, for real, no argument.”

“If Olivia answers me tonight, sure,” Kravitz answered with a shrug. 

Taako’s eyes flashed angry and he took in a breath through his nose. Kravitz noticed his fangs digging into his lower lip and wondered if he was still hungry. “Olivia can’t answer you, she’s too mad and she thinks I’m guilty,” Taako protested, looking at the ceiling. “You’re too attractive to do this naked. Will you cover yourself up?”

Kravitz’s eyebrows climbed into his hair. A grin spread across his face as he felt the opportunity for some well-deserved revenge. Lifting a hand, he traced the tattoo across his chest. “She doesn’t think you’re guilty,” he insisted softly.

Taako’s eyes darted down, then back up to the ceiling. “She killed _two_ mediators, handsome,” he argued with an annoyed hum. “Her anger is why her testimony was inadmissible in court.”

“She would have moved on if she thought you were guilty,” Kravitz persisted, keeping his voice low. His hand dropped to his navel, trailing towards his hip. “I just need to get her to trust me.”

“She’ll kill you first,” Taako breathed, eyes tracking his hand. “She doesn’t like me,” he added as after-thought, voice barely a whisper. 

“We have something in common, then,” Kravitz grinned, sliding his hand to the outside of his thigh. 

Taako’s eyes met his in a glare and he stepped closer to get into his face. “I hate you,” he snarled. 

“Mm, but you do love looking at me,” Kravitz smiled, pressing their foreheads together. A part of him felt the tension in his stomach, saw Taako’s eyes drop to his lips, and hoped he’d bridge the couple of bare inches between them. He wanted to touch the soft skin between Taako’s thighs again. _Needed_ to finally snuff out the desire that had burned in him for far too long. 

Taako splayed his hand over Kravitz’s heart and shoved him onto the bed. “Yeah, lookin’ is good enough for me,” he said with a wink, leaning back to watch disappointment spread across Kravitz’s face. He went over to the chair and dragged it to the side of the bed. Sprawling into it, he gestured at Kravitz to continue. 

Kravitz’s confusion shifted into desire when he realized what Taako wanted. He sat up with a smirk, “Are we still arguing right now?” 

Taako laughed and unbuttoned his pants, palming himself through the cloth. “What do you think, babe?”

“You’ve paused it to distract me so I’ll stop distracting you,” Kravitz answered, eyes darting up to Taako’s smirk, then back to what his hand was doing. “Pass me that bag by your feet.” He held out his hands to catch the bag and rummaged through when Taako tossed it over. If Taako wanted a show, he’d give him one. 

He pulled out the lube first, then pulled a vibrator from its case, setting the bag back on the ground. Taako’s eyes glanced between it and Kravitz’s face. Kravitz took himself in hand, stroking his half-arousal to fullness with slow, methodical strokes.

“I’m glad you seem to want my cock, handsome, ‘cause I’m not sure where I’d put all that,” Taako breathed from his chair. “As nice and terrifying as your piercing looks.”

Kravitz laughed, leaning an elbow on the bed. “Coward,” he smirked, taking some lube in hand and spreading his legs for Taako. He circled his ass and met Taako’s eyes, pushing in with a low groan. 

Taako’s lips parted, taking in a sharp breath. “Not the first one to call me a coward,” he murmured, licking his lips when Kravitz added a second finger. The vibrator wasn’t big so Kravitz wasn’t too worried about preparation more than what he could use to tease Taako who had yet to even pull his dick out. “So, you carry a vibrator with you everywhere?”

The question caught Kravitz off-guard. He laughed breathily and picked up the remote. “Catch,” he said instead of answering. 

Taako held up his hands and snatched the remote out of the air. “Oh, fun,” he grinned, turning it on and off with a wicked smile. “And by your non-answer I’m going to guess the answer is ‘yes’,” he snickered. 

Kravitz felt like he was going to regret giving that power to Taako as he gently eased the toy in with a hitch in his breath. Taako set it to high and immediately flicked it to low, making Kravitz finally fall back on the bed with a soft gasp. “I’m always on the move. If I want one, it comes with me, y-yeah,” he groaned, talking getting more difficult as he fucked himself with the toy. 

“I don’t think you have any idea how hot you are, babe,” Taako grinned, still only palming himself through his boxers. He kept Kravitz from getting too close to the edge by his deft handling of the little remote. Kravitz, hated him for it, but didn’t have the voice to tell him as much. Any time he tried, it only came out as moans and cries he muffled against his hand between slurred attempts at Taako’s name. 

Finally, he wrapped his fingers around his cock, but the vibrator stopped immediately. Kravitz made a frustrated noise and rolled his head to the side to glare at Taako. 

The sight was worth the pause. Taako, pants and boxers on the ground, dick finally out and wrapped in a condom, eyes burning with the same desire that Kravitz thought had been eating away at him. “I thought the deal was I sucked your blood if you sucked my cock,” Taako said with that charmingly petulant quirk of his mouth. Kravitz pushed the toy inside and sat up. “Sucked your blood. ‘Bout time you hold up your end of the bargain.” 

It finally clicked why Taako had refused to touch himself. Kravitz stood shakily to his feet and sank to his knees in front of Taako. Taako pushed his fingers into Kravitz’s hair and pulled lightly, making him look up, “Don’t touch yourself. I’ll take care of ya, huh, bubala?” Kravitz only moaned in response, wrapping his lips around Taako’s dick, groaning deep in his throat as the vibrator started again. “Hoo boy, you struck me as the type, but you _are_ godsdamn _eager_ ,” Taako hissed, throwing his head back against chair. 

Kravitz slid his hand under Taako’s shirt, enjoying the touch of his skin. He pulled off to nuzzle and kiss the inside of Taako’s thighs, hand pumping slowly. Taako rocked up into his touch and sank farther into the chair, spreading his legs with a loud moan. Kravitz bit and licked hickies along either thigh, desperate to leave some kind of mark on this man. It wasn’t an entirely coherent thought, but he had something forming in his mind that he wanted Taako to run his hands along them later. To him, it was only fair if Taako thought of him as often as the vampire crossed his mind. 

Taako tugged impatiently at his hair and Kravitz watched him under his eyelashes as he let the pull guide his lips back to Taako’s cock. He sank back down on it, Taako gasping and thrusting hard enough to make him swallow back a gag. At that point, Taako slowly cranked the vibration higher and pushed Kravitz’s head down faster. 

There were some aspects about being a servant of The Raven Queen that Kravitz considered unintentional perks. For example, drowning was rather difficult in case they needed a short trip to the lake of memories. He cut off his breathing and let Taako fuck his mouth without complaint. If Kravitz was being honest with himself, he thoroughly enjoyed it. “Kravitz, Krav, Krav, Krav,” Taako groaned, eyes squeezed shut. “Good, good, gods, Krav, yes.”

Kravitz’s hands touched everywhere he could reach, greedily finding every scar and treasuring the soft skin around his stomach. He felt so close, wrapping an arm around Taako’s waist to ground himself. With his other hand, he reached down to break Taako’s command without an ounce of guilt. “Fuck,” Taako swore, trying to muffle his moans with a hand. The remote tumbled to the ground as Taako's hand went to the nape of his neck, then the side of his face. It was almost tender and sent Kravitz spiraling closer. "Krav," he moaned with a desperate note. The thrusts grew more erratic. His back arched and he crashed over the edge, fingernails digging into Kravitz's scalp. 

His fingers relaxed and Kravitz pulled off, panting. Taako carded his fingers through Kravitz’s hair as he pressed his cheek against Taako’s thigh and finished with a sharp gasp. He looked up dazedly to see Taako’s ears and eyes drooping. 

If he had thought sex would quell his desire for the elf, he had been hopelessly and helplessly _wrong_. He reached up to touch Taako’s cheek reverently. Taako smiled sleepily and leaned into his touch. Then, he closed his eyes and slumped in the chair, dead asleep. 

Kravitz blinked in surprise, giving Taako a small shake on the shoulder. “Come on, Taako, don’t make me clean up alone, you -,” he growled in frustration, looking around at the mess. 

After cleaning both of them up, Kravitz tucked Taako into his bed and checked the time as well as read the missed messages. It was only four in the afternoon and he wondered how Taako had at all been coherent that early in the day. He took a shower and sat on the edge of the bed to put his shoes on. Pausing, he leaned over to brush hair out of Taako’s face. 

Kravitz realized what a stupidly sentimental thing he’d done and jerked his hand back. Standing up, he decided to simply not think about it. He had more important things to do than fawn over a vampire. 

Like solve said vampire’s case and clear his name. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose. On the way out, he grabbed Taako’s coffee and gulped it down. Four sets of eyes turned to him the moment he stepped into the area Paloma had off-handedly called her dining room. “Ah,” Kravitz remarked mildly. “He brought friends.”

Magnus waved at him jauntily. “Taako’s not dead, is he? From the potions and coffee, I mean,” he greeted cheerfully. 

Angus from the curse shop looked like he was going to explode with questions. A woman and older man Kravitz didn’t recognize looked like they were nursing hangovers. He directed his attention back to Magnus, “He’s sleeping.” Simple, easy answer that they would hopefully accept without questions. 

“Ear muffs!” The woman warned, extending fuzzy, bear hands to cover Angus’s ears. Kravitz guessed this was Magnus’s wife, Julia. 

“Mom,” the boy complained, exasperated, crossing his arms. 

“He really can’t hear anything like this,” she grinned at Kravitz. “So was it a post-coitus sleep or he just fell on top of you? We have a betting pool going.”

“Listen to his voice! They done gone and done it,” the older man insisted, tapping the table. “Let me tell you, I know the sound of a man who has gotten it to the throat.”

“Ew,” Magnus grimaced at the older man. “Tee emm eye, Merle.” Merle laughed in response, shrugging indifferently. 

Kravitz’s eyes darted around the room as his hand tightened on the handle of the mug, looking for a convenient escape. 

Unfortunately, there was none.


	19. A Holiday Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Begged of a star to throw a beam or two, wished of a star and asked for a dream or two. Looked for every loveliness, it all came true, wished on the moon for -.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to click on the music if you want a general idea of the mood and/or some of Kravitz's tastes.

The room was warm and comfortable. Taako opened his eyes slowly, groggy awareness coming to him in waves. There was music [drifting from somewhere](https://youtu.be/JxVXNWdHDq8) in the room. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and he looked at the bedside table in front of him for his phone. Surprisingly, he couldn’t remember his dreams. That had been something he worried about, coming back _here_ , that the night terrors would be overwhelming. 

His thoughts drifted back to Kravitz gasping against his thigh, the tattoos of ravens and flowers and two names, and his mouth. Taako wondered if he even needed to breath with that performance. He grinned, burying his stupid expression into the pillows. 

There was a creak behind him. “Are you finally awake?” 

Taako rolled over to see Kravitz, twisted around in a wooden chair, a laptop and stacks of papers spread across the desk he was sitting at. He looked him over, eyeing the scruff on his chin with interest. “No, still dreamin’ about handsome men with handsome mouths,” he grinned, snuggling further into the pillows. A new song started from Kravitz’s laptop, [soft and sweet and familiar](https://youtu.be/wCBmaZDXBCg), but Taako couldn’t quite place it. 

Kravitz snorted, turning to the desk. “You’ll have to restrain any dreams about my mouth to your dreams after making me clean up alone,” he said with little enough conviction that Taako wasn’t convinced. “Can you tell you _family_ that keeping me here is false imprisonment?”

Taako pushed the covers down, amused Kravitz had apparently helped him into his boxers. He touched the bruises and hickeys splattered across his thighs; Kravitz had done a number on him. Still, the ache in the places Kravitz had worshipped made Taako feel powerful. Evidence that his memory hadn’t dreamed up the tender caress of Kravitz’s fingers and lips. He turned his attention back to Kravitz who snapped back around to his laptop when he was caught staring. “Told you, this place is too dangerous, we’re leaving, homie,” he smirked, getting to his feet. Sliding his fingers down Kravitz’s chest, Taako wrapped his arms around his neck from behind. “Or you can stay here with lil ol’ me, handsome,” he murmured into Kravitz’s twitching ear.

He could hear Kravitz’s heart picking up its beat, feel his rapid pulse under his hands. In a lot of ways, Taako thought he’d get bored of Kravitz the moment he got what he wanted, a bit of satisfaction. To watch him come undone and wring his own pleasure from him in return. Kravitz turned his head, eyes flashing with anger. “I’m trying to help you, Taako,” he said with forced calm. 

Taako tightened his grip. “You’re no help to anyone dead, dumbass,” he snorted, letting go and scattering a pile of papers to the floor so he could sit down on the desk. 

“Our Lady take you,” Kravitz swore, standing to chase the papers. He dropped to his hands and knees to reach some that had flown under the dresser next to the desk. Taako picked up a few of the papers, reading Kravitz’s red notes in the margins of files and newspapers he’d seen a thousand times. He paused over a mugshot from that night, bruises circled with speculation about the force used during the arrest. Kravitz looked up venomously at Taako from his knees, snatching the paper from his hands. 

“Anyone ever tell you this is you best angle, bubala?” Taako grinned, stopping him from getting to his feet with a hand on top of his soft curls. 

“Yes, actually,” Kravitz sighed, setting the papers aside and crossing his forearms on top of Taako’s knees. He looked resigned to some fate as he watched Taako from under his lashes. “Not going to get much work done now that you’re awake, I take it.”

Taako grinned, playing with Kravitz’s hair. “Do you want to get much work done?” 

Kravitz huffed in exasperation, throwing up his hands. “Well, not anymore,” he exclaimed, laying his cheek on Taako’s thigh and swatting him away from his hair. Taako laughed softly, leaning back. Kravitz stood, pulling his hair back into a bun. “Taako, it is my calling to put spirits to rest,” he said more seriously, touching a ring on his finger like a habit. “Olivia isn’t the only person trapped. Forty people, stuck in a time loop because they died terribly. The people who died are still suffering.”

Taako forced his breath not to catch, one hand tightening around the edge of the desk. “You don’t think I know that?!” He lept to his feet, crowding Kravitz back to the bed. “That I, _Taako_ , don’t know that all the victims are still suffering because I picked the unluckiest time to tell Olivia that I -,” he stopped his furious rant with a hand to his temple, closing his eyes and backing into the desk chair. 

Kravitz grabbed his hand and Taako looked up at him. “What did you tell her?” His eyes were on Taako with that intense focus. 

Taako twisted his hand free and clasped his fingers together. “I missed Lup, okay? I asked - I wanted out of my contract so I could move to Lunal, my man,” he admitted softly, looking down. “We tore into each other about it right before the show. I was her biggest name and she said ‘no’, of course,” he said with an annoyed flick of his ears. 

Kavitz nodded, more to himself. “Did you know she was in debt?” 

“She was what?” Taako blinked in surprise, trying to figure out where the conversation was going. 

“In debt, badly,” Kravitz replied with a wave of his hand, leaning over Taako to pluck a paper among the many on his desk. “Her son was diagnosed with Ondine’s Curse. She took him to a witch, but not your friendly corner store kind.”

Taako looked at his hands. He hadn’t even known Olivia _had_ a son. A feeling hit him, squeezing around his heart with dark tendrils. It wasn’t guilt, Taako hadn’t felt real guilt in years, but it was something closer to disappointment. It would be the look Lup gave him when she heard. “The mafia kind of witch,” he sighed, staring up at the ceiling. 

“Yeah. She had good motivation not to lose you as a client,” Kravitz summarized, gesturing to his paper. “It’s probably why she has convinced herself it’s your fault.”

“And, yanno, the court case I was convicted at, handsome,” Taako snorted, rolling his head onto the back of the chair. 

“Why wasn’t poison brought up at the trial?” Kravitz asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Your medical report has a list of symptoms and your blood tests. After some research, I figured out it was cyanide. Which, like most poisons, vampires can’t die from. It wasn’t hard to see.”

Taako laughed and turned his head to look at Kravitz. “It’s almost like they were tryin’ to convict me,” he said with mock surprise, covering his mouth. “Open and shut case, bubala,” he gestured to himself, running a hand through his hair. “All they saw was _me_.” 

“I’m sorry,” Kravitz whispered. The genuine sympathy in his voice made Taako’s ears droop low. “I did, too.” His hand found Taako’s fingers still in his hair, squeezing, his other hand brushing through Taako’s hair. It felt comforting and Taako leaned into it, putting his hands in his lap. “Do you mind?” Taako shook his head and Kravitz started weaving braids into it. “You’re hard not to look at,” Kravitz said with a smile in his voice. “Not to be interested in,” his voice dropped low. “Want to figure out.”

Taako felt heat starting up his neck. Kravitz’s hands kept brushing against his ears, sending sparks of pleasure to help fuel the warmth in his face. After earlier in the day, it wasn’t enough to get him going, but it was turning Taako into a puddle. “Sayin’ I was too pretty not to get arrested, handsome?” 

Kravitz laughed, softly in his ear, making Taako shudder. “No, you’re a red herring. Any good officer should have seen that. I’m just trying to figure out why none did,” his finger traced the outside of Taako’s ear curiously, making it flick and twitch under his touch. “You’re a victim, too, Taako. Olivia and the others who died are not the only ones who deserve and _will_ have justice,” he whispered, voice firm with resolve. 

Taako felt his heart clench and he squeezed his eyes shut. “You’d keep comin’ back even if we made you leave,” Taako murmured, leaning his cheek on the back of the chair. The words in Kravitz’s file kept sitting on the tip of his tongue, ‘ _relentless_ ’. Kravitz’s hands untangled from his hair. 

“I gave you my word, Taako,” Kravitz was standing in front of him, staring down with that intense focus. Taako finally put his finger on why he liked being looked at like that. It was like he was the only thing that existed and Kravitz was trying to discover a new part of his world. 

Taako reached up without thinking, bringing Kravitz’s face closer. “Take it back,” he whispered against Kravitz’s lips. Kravitz kissed him, a peck that devolved into bare desire. His hand grasped at Taako’s hip, his other against Taako’s cheek. He cut his lip on Taako’s fangs. Taako pulled him down hungrily, hands tangled in Kravitz’s hair. He jerked him into his lap, making Kravitz put a knee on the chair to steady himself.

Kravitz pulled away with a gasp, but Taako kept kissing, down his chin, tracing marks along his collarbone. “Taako, I need to hold this seance,” he started, putting his hands on Taako’s shoulders. Taako looked up angrily, shoving his shirt high and sucking a nipple ring into his mouth. Kravitz gasped, hands going to the back of the chair. 

Taako slipped a hand down the back of his jeans, Kravitz’s other knee found its way onto the wooden chair. Kavitz forced Taako’s chin up, pushing their foreheads together. He jerked Taako’s chin again when Taako tried to look away. “I will fuck you right now if that’s what you want, Taako,” Kravitz murmured, hands slipping into Taako’s hair. 

“Isn’t that where we’re goin’, homie?” Taako sneered with an eye roll.

“Like you said, I’ll keep coming back here. I _know_ you’re trying to stop me,” Kravitz went on, like Taako hadn’t said anything, “If we do this right now, it’ll be good. A distraction, a fun distraction.” He leaned back to drop a hand to Taako’s hip. “A distraction from my work. If we do this now, it’ll mean you’re too distracting. You will _never_ see me again.” 

Taako bared his teeth in anger. “It’s not that big of a -,” he started. 

“Do you want me now or do you want me later?” Kravitz looked at him, sitting back. 

Taako froze, hand still grasping Kravitz’s ass. He pushed him away with a snarl, marching over to the door. Kravitz stumbled back, catching his balance on the desk and tracking Taako across the room. “Let him hold his stupid seance and get killed,” Taako shouted down the hallway at anyone who might have been listening slash guarding. 

Kravitz paused by him in the doorway, pulling him into a kiss that made Taako slump against the doorframe for support. “You won’t regret saving this for later,” he smirked, pecking Taako on the corner of the mouth. 

“I don’t want you at all, homie,” Taako growled, putting a hand on Kravitz’s chest. Kravitz laughed, grabbing his hand and kissing his palm. “I’m serious,” Taako insisted, trying to hide the hitch in his breath. “I’m letting you go so Olivia will kill you, thug.” 

Kravitz grinned and gave Taako another peck on the lips which made him wrinkle his nose in annoyance. He walked out, heading towards the stairs without being stopped. 

Lup went to Taako’s side as he glared after Kravitz. “Julia said he grabbed a cup of coffee, a plate of eggs, and went back to his room without more than two words to anyone,” she smiled, nudging Taako. “Smart guy. Seems like a keeper.” 

Taako turned his glare on her. He shut the door in her face and thumped his head against the wall. Then, he opened the door again. “He’s an idiot!” He shut the door back on Lup’s laughter. 

Sinking down on the bed, Taako put his head in his hands with a groan. Music [kept playing from Kravitz’s laptop](https://youtu.be/6uP2x1hIJxg) and he didn't have the heart to stop it. He didn’t know what he was doing anymore. Here he was, in Glamour Springs, to stop something that he had let walk right out the door. Even Lup was only trying to lift his spirits, knowing what it did to him to be on the set of forty years of nightmares. 

Dread sat in his stomach and hope thrummed in his heart, a broken song of something he knew wouldn’t happen. Olivia would never forgive him. She had no reason to. His faults lay in things Kravitz would only find to be true. Only grow tired of, as Sazed had grown tired of. 

Kravitz was so determined and _sure_ he’d figure it out. He made Taako hope there would be a later where Olivia was at peace. It crossed his mind to hope Kravitz would be in that later, too, but he shoved it down. 

For the first time since he’d sat in a prison cell, Taako turned his face into the pillows and stumbled over a prayer to the Fates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like today's more somber chapter with a real discussion on where it might be going.


	20. A White Picket Fence and Guard Tarantula

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not all prayers are answered, but some are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild gore/violence warning. Nothing overt (canon-typical), but there is some blood.

The darkened cooking set was no more welcoming than it had been the day before. Kravitz kept his bag slung over his chest this time, flashlight in hand. His breath came out in puffs of white and the candles lit themselves as he approached the circle. 

“Olivia?” He called warily. “Do I even need to step in there?”

There was no answer, only the flicker of the candles and his own breathing in the darkness. Kravitz examined the circle carefully, but it hadn’t been broken. He leaned down, chalk in hand, to start the process of making the circle more protective. It would mean expending more magic, but not having to run away from a ghost. 

The time drawing the new runes at least gave him a moment to think. He’d forced himself not to think too much about that afternoon, diving deep into researching the life of Olivia Norman. There was no distraction to help him ignore it anymore. 

Taako had wanted him later, too. It meant at least some of this pining was mutual. They both wanted more than someone attractive to fuck around with. Kravitz felt the stupid grin spreading across his face. He put the chalk down long enough to cover his mouth with his hands. 

A more sobering thought was that there wasn’t really anywhere this could go. Kravitz was a bounty hunter and he traveled far too often to hold down anything someone might consider steady. Maybe they both had feelings of more than lust, but he’d leave, eventually. Taako would get bored of waiting. Kravitz had been down this road before and it always ended with an apology. 

“Trouble at home?” 

Kravitz’s head snapped up, but of course there was no one there. It was Olivia’s disembodied voice speaking on frequencies only the dead and dead-adjacent could hear. 

It couldn’t hurt to chat with her while he worked. Earn more of her trust along the way. “Technically,” he started, “I’m homeless. Not quite home, no.”

A snort and something that sounded like a lighter flicking. “You dress too nicely to be homeless, but all you witness for the dead types seem to drift in life,” she hummed. “Face like that on a man like you, though, gotta be a girl.”

“A guy, but you’re more or less right, I guess,” he laughed softly. 

There was a puff of air. “Be careful who you tell that to,” she warned, but it was a motherly sort of warning. 

“Do you see anyone else around here? I think this is pretty damn careful,” he grinned, picking back up his chalk. 

“So what’s the problem?”

Kravitz paused again at her casual question. “You said it yourself, I drift through life. Anything long-term is going to fall apart,” he replied softly. 

“Then make him your anchor. That’s how my husband tied me down to this podunk town and we made it shine,” she said dismissively with a tone that made Kravitz feel her shrug. “It was good until -,” she didn’t need to finish her sentence. 

“I don’t think either of us are the _type_ to build a house, get married, _kids_ ,” Kravitz started drawing again. It occurred to him that this was probably a strange conversation to be having with a dead woman. He decided to turn it back on Olivia. “Were you the type?”

“I think I was, secretly, my husband saw it even when I didn’t. As stressful as managing people like _him_ was – cleanin’ up after all the men he left behind, gettin’ his lazy ass to show -,” she broke off as it started to turn into a rant, taking a deep inhale. “Goin’ home, seein’ my kid, havin’ a great house husband waitin’ with dinner? Made it worth it.” 

“Huh,” he laughed, finishing a swirl of a rune. “White picket fence and a golden retriever?” 

“Oh, please, no, we were old-fashioned Jorōgumo, my kid and me. Husband was an elf, but what can you do? In any case, dogs hated us. Got my kid a little tarantula though. Cutest things,” she smiled. “No fence, but we built him a tree house one weekend.” 

Kravitz laughed, then stuck over the part about her being a Jorōgumo. He felt the hairs on his neck stand tall. They made ghosts of a different class than he was used to dealing with. More vindictive, harder to keep from being consumed by anger and pain, and very dangerous. It was no wonder her testimony had been dismissed, but he needed answers. He swallowed drily. “You mentioned before that it was stressful, managing people like Taako?” Maybe this was a good place to start that would lead the conversation along more naturally, with less anger. 

He felt a flare of anger from even mentioning the name. He had an answer before she even said a word. “Of course it was,” she growled and he was almost able to smell the cigarette she was smoking on her side of things. “You’ve met him, clearly, you know what he’s like.”

Kravitz licked his lips, trying to figure out what the best angle to approach this from. “Have to interview everyone in cases like these, Olivia. I’m a detective, surely you understand that much,” he tried to reason. 

He could feel the moment it didn’t work. Her vengeful spirit shifting into pure, cold fury that nipped at his fingers and nose. 

“Did you know I killed two before you?” Olivia hissed, voice tinged with static across the physical plane. 

“I did learn that,” Kravitz replied carefully, drawing the runes faster. “Getting you justice is more important than the risk to my life, Olivia.”

His hand paused in the middle of the scribble as he felt the energy shift. He shone his flashlight forward and froze when it came across Olivia, in her ghostly form, her bottom half a spider. She snarled at him, baring her fangs. 

Kravitz stood slowly. “You don’t have to do this, I’m trying to help you, Olivia, let you move on,” he said with forced neutrality. Olivia being a Jorōgumo changed things, made them harder to deal with. 

“You’re going to make it worse,” she growled, claws clacking across the studio floor as she approached. Kravitz knew what a single bite from her would do. He kept backing up, keeping his flashlight on her. “Try to get him free! Like the other two! All of this, everything, it’s his fault! No rest for any of us!”

Kravitz turned and ran; this time, he was more annoyed than scared, hopping over debris, and jogging to the reception area. “I’m just going to come back tomorrow, Olivia,” he called over his shoulder. She was right on his heels but not quite quick enough. “Why don’t we talk now? Get you closer to the light?” Her only response was a roar of frustration and anger. He darted behind a display case in time to miss the powerful thwack of one of her eight legs. Kravitz rolled to the door and reached desperately for its handles, forcing himself to his feet. As he put his hands on them, a raven flew in front of his face. 

He startled away from the doors and tripped, falling backwards; he hit his head hard enough to see lights, then Olivia’s face. Pure terror coursed through his veins, jolting him with a rush of adrenaline. He rolled to the side as she struck, then lost her as the flashlight started to roll away. Pushing himself to his hands and knees, he managed to get his fingers around the light in time to see her looming over him. Kravitz tried to jerk away, fumbling to pick up the flashlight, but she struck him in the shoulder before he had a chance. 

White-hot pain shot down his body as she disappeared. He screamed in agony, rolling on his side and clutching his shoulder. Warm blood seeped between his fingers and pooled at his collar bone. There was no time to sit and whimper; he shoved past the pain and surged to trembling legs, stumbling through the doors. Kravitz needed to get to someone while he was still coherent. Taako was standing just on the other side, looking alarmed. His hand was outstretched like he had been about to open the doors. 

“Krav,” he whispered, horrified, catching Kravitz before he managed to plant his face into the floor. 

Paloma went to her feet. “I’ll get Merle,” she shouted, rushing downstairs. 

Kravitz pulled out his phone and shoved it into Taako’s hand, smearing blood across his blouse. “Ten slash twenty-three, Darling, Brian, tell him Jorōgumo bite,” he whispered urgently. “Will pay teleport, anything -, dying.” 

“You’re - this is -,” Taako murmured, hands fluttering over but never quite touching Kravitz’s wound. Kravitz couldn’t tell if he wasn’t make sense because of the venom or it was what was actually happening. He wondered when they’d gotten to the floor or why an older man was ripping off his shirt. 

Looking back up at Taako – pretty, beautiful, indescribable by words, _Taako_ –, Kravitz put his hand on his cheek weakly. “Asshole. Not even crying,” he mumbled. Taako gave a broken sort of laugh. It sounded awful. “Don’t. Need you t-to call Brian. Promised later. Don’t want to -,” he cut himself off to hide his face in Taako’s stomach as the old man’s touched something against his shoulder that sent a whole new world of pain hurtling down his side. He screamed, which hurt more, breaking it off into tiny sobs that hurt less. 

Distantly, he heard, “Magnus, be careful!” 

Kravitz felt weightless, but also that it was important for Taako to know something. “T-taak, Darling,” he babbled as coherently as he could be. 

“I - I don’t get it, handsome, what - ?” He thought it was Taako talking, but he wasn’t sure. His shoulder was jostled, but he didn’t have it in him to scream, only managing a whimper. 

It struck him that he might have been dying. Blackness swam around his vision, but it was fear and agony that threw him out of consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The new chapter should be out soon! Sorry for a bit of a cliff hanger.


	21. The MC is Absent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The natural progression of things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all Taako's PoV. 
> 
> Further, the last chapter only included the parts where Kravitz was coherent.

There was too much blood. He had already tasted Kravitz, the smell of his blood was overwhelming. It was all over his blouse, from where he’d sat watching Kravitz babble and scream. Hardly realized he was holding a phone. He hadn’t known what to do except yell for Magnus who thundered inside like a storm. They’d both held Kravitz down while Merle ran a spell across the broken skin. Kravitz snarled and bit at them like they were the cause of his pain, then faded to curl against his stomach, whispering endearments in two languages the twins knew and one neither did. It was the begging, Kravitz begging for his brother’s forgiveness and clinging to Magnus’s hand on the reception room floor while Merle debated if they should even move him, that broke him. 

It was at that point Merle declared Kravitz was hallucinating, badly. 

“You fuckin’ think, Mumpkin?” He snapped, making Kravitz recoil in fear. It made him want to snap at Kravitz, too. 

“Taako,” Lup soothed, hand on his shoulder. “Let me take over.”

He moved aside instantly, letting Lup kneel down by Kravitz’s side. She and Magnus kept Kravitz down while Merle carefully injected a painkiller. He covered his ears while Kravitz screamed, squeezing his eyes shut. 

Then, they were moving Kravitz on a makeshift stretcher Angus and Julia had made. “Magnus, be careful!” Merle insisted, voice cracking with stress. 

He stumbled to his feet when Kravitz reached for him, “Taak, darling.”

Kravitz seemed desperate to tell him _something_ , but he had no idea what. “I - I don’t get it, handsome, what - ?” He took his hand.

Magnus slipped on the blood, almost tossing Kravitz out of the stretcher. Kravitz whimpered and he felt the moment Kravitz’s grip slackened in his. He dropped to his knees, watching Kravitz’s limp hand trail along the tile before Julia lifted it back into the stretcher. 

He didn’t know how long he stayed there, watching where Kravitz had disappeared.

Lup nudged him, gently, pinching her nose shut. “Taako, we need to clean up,” she said calmly. “You’re covered in blood.”

Julia came back upstairs with a bag, tossing a shirt his way. It took him a moment to realize it was Kravitz’s. He didn’t bother to tell her that. 

“Merle says neither of you can go down until the blood is under control,” Julia apologized, not quite looking at him. They were too old to go bloodthirsty, but it was always a risk with vampires. They were too many days out from a solid drink of blood. 

He numbly unbuttoned his blouse, fingers slipping over the last few. Angrily, he ripped it off and threw it aside, scrubbing his skin raw with the washcloth Paloma gave him. He’d worn the blouse because he, stupidly, wanted to impress Kravitz. Make him want to pop the buttons off his shirt in that later he’d been promised. Stupidly naïve, stupidly hopeful. He clung to Kravitz’s phone, wiped free of blood by Julia. 

Magnus came back upstairs, briefly, before going back down. Only a few hours to find the antivenom. At least they now knew how Olivia had killed the other two, Julia said. Not trying to be callous, but positive. He stared forward blankly. 

Lup put the phone in his hand. “Why did he give you this?”

“He said to call Brian, about the -,” he dropped the phone in his lap, staring down at the blank screen. He flipped it over when he caught sight of his reflection. 

Julia sat a few inches away on his one side. Lup’s arm was around his shoulders on the other. She pushed the phone back in front of his face again. It smelled like Kravitz’s blood. He swallowed and tapped in the passcode weakly, 1-0-2-3. The last thing Kravitz had open was Fantasy Facebook, an event marked as a ‘maybe’, the title read ‘ _Macy’s Fifteenth Birthday Party_ ’. The creator was Macy Kravitz and set for October twenty-third, ten slash twenty-three. 

He flicked away from the app and opened the contacts before he thought too hard about Kravitz’s _family_. He hadn’t even really thought of Kravitz having a family. Scrolling down to the B’s, his heart sank. He’d thought, stupidly, that Kravitz had been calling him _darling_ , but nested amongst the other Brians was a Brian Darling. 

“Do you want me to do it?” Lup startled him and he almost dropped the phone. He shook his head quickly and started the call. 

“ _Hello, Alli_ ,” sang a familiar voice. 

“Brian, I uh -,” he realized he had no idea how to start this. 

“ _Oh. Taako, right? That dog! I knew you two were dating, darling._ ”

He swallowed, then cleared his throat. “Listen, my man, there’s been a kind of issue here. Kravitz said to call you. He was bit by Jorōgumo, he said he’d pay for a teleport, anything, but he only has a few hours,” he rushed through it, taking a deep breath when he finished. 

There was a noise on the other end of the line. “ _Yes, I can procur antivenom, there’s a sort of registry of -. No time, what kind of Jorōgumo?_ ”

He hadn’t even known Olivia was a Jorōgumo. No one even knew why the mediators had died, they’d simply been found with a bite the next morning which could have had any number of causes. Autopsies had proved useless except to say some type of poison or venom. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. “I - I don’t know,” he whispered hoarsely. “How do I tell? She’s a ghost, if that helps.”

There was a sound of a keyboard clicking in the background. “ _Give me her name, I can look her up._ ”

Here, he realized he’d expose himself. Lup shook her head at him, but he had to. It was the quickest way. “Olivia Norman.”

The line went silent. 

“Are you still there?” His voice was desperate. Hopeful, stupidly hopeful. 

The voice never dimmed its cheer. “ _I will come with the anti-venom. Glamour Springs, yes? It will be no more than fifteen minutes by teleport. If I see you, even_ once _, Taako Amaiat, you will need to find widow antivenom for yourself. Send someone to get me from the station._ ” 

The line went dead. 

Lup whispered something to Barry, who left. Julia gathered both the twins in her arms and carried them to a side room Paloma said they could hide in. 

Lup and Julia argued outside the door, but only snatches drifted through. 

“- can’t just expose us like -!”

“Cut him a break, Julia!”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry. I just don’t want to call HR.”

“Then don’t.”

“We have to. If this Brian guy doesn’t work out, we need someone to hide the -.”

Their voices dropped too low to hear. 

“It’ll be okay, sir,” Angus tried to comfort, flipping a page in his book. “Do you want me to read to you?” A rustle, a little stir because even some horrible things are not quite heartless. “Okay. I think that was an okay. If it’s not, could you do it again?” Only quiet. “Okay. This, sir, is Caleb Cleveland and the Mystery of the Missing Marsupial,” he declared cheerfully. 

“Our story starts with our hero in a bit of a bind, sir…”

It wasn’t long before Lup crept into the room and sat next to Angus. More time passed before Angus’s soothing voice was interrupted by Julia. 

“Merle said the antivenom is working,” she whispered. She glanced between the pile of blankets and Lup. “Angus can you come help me for a minute?” Angus looked between Julia and Lup, who nodded at him to go; he trailed after Julia reluctantly, closing the door behind himself. 

Taako unburied himself from the pillows and hugged Lup, sobbing against her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more intensity, but a hopeful note. Another chapter soon!


	22. Fantasy Broadway's Got His Number

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelations and layers and feelings, oh my!

There was a soft sob somewhere in the room. Kravitz shifted slowly and froze, muffling his cry of pain against the pillows. His shoulder felt like it had been set on fire. Someone sniffed, walking around the bed, and Brian appeared in front of him. 

“Ah, don’t move too much, Alli. You took quite the wound,” he smiled sadly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Kravitz’s memories only partially came back to him. He squinted at the ceiling, trying to make sense of them, but they seemed jumbled and too bright, like a dream. “I -,” his voice cracked and he swallowed thickly. Brian wordlessly passed him a glass of water and helped him sit up to drink it. Kravitz cleared his throat and tried again, “I can’t remember what exactly happened.”

“Well,” Brian said with a brighter smile, “I don’t really know either, darling. All I know is that Taako Amaiat called me and said you had been bit by a Jorōgumo.” Kravitz frowned, the usage of Taako’s full name meant Brian _knew_ about Glamour Springs. “She was a widow, like me, so I came with the antivenom and saved your life. You are very lucky to have met me.”

“I -,” Kravitz paused, trying to collect his thoughts. “Yes, I think that’s true. Thank you.” He smiled at Brian and took his hand, squeezing with all the weak strength he had. “Taako is -. I don’t know what you may have heard about Glamour Springs, but I’ve been investigating this case. Taako is, without a doubt, innocent,” he rushed through, stumbling over his words as he went. 

Brian inclined his head. “I knew very little about Glamour Springs on purpose, but I read your notes,” he gestured towards the desk. 

Kravitz frowned at their hands. His mind tried to catch up with what he found strange about Brian’s response. “Why did you say you didn’t know about it on purpose?”

There was a quiet where Brian’s thumb brushed circles in Kravitz’s hand. “My oma said that if I were to try to find my parents here, I would lose myself,” he murmured, not meeting Kravitz’s eyes. 

Kravitz’s breath caught and he put his other hand over Brian’s as the tears started to drop. Brian wiped at his face, sniffing. “Brian, I had no idea -,” Kravitz started, hand shaking from fatigue already. He frowned at it, hoping that wasn’t long-term. 

“How could you know? I do not advertise it, darling, especially not with new sex friends,” Brian laughed, pulling back and looking away. “‘Hello, both my parents died in the Glamour Springs Massacre, would you let me tie you up and make sweet love to you?’”

Kravitz guffawed and Brian snickered, reaching up to touch Kravitz’s face. “Alli, I was seven when I went to live with my oma for the summer. I only came back for the funeral. The only memories of my mother are in photographs. The glitzy Olivia Norman,” he spread his hands in front of his face like a sign. “And her unusual house husband, Frederick Darling, this of course.” Kravitz smiled weakly, hearing the fond way Olivia had talked about _her kid_. He could see it now, in the way Brian moved, the determined glint in his eyes, and the sadness that seemed to touch all the victims. 

She’d gone through so much for him. She had died, senselessly and terribly, over someone else’s petty jealous. As much as Kravitz had talked about the putting spirit to rest, that was no more than a platitude for servants of The Raven Queen. This was his real calling. 

“She said they built you a treehouse,” he offered, the only piece of her he could give. It was the only peace he could lay at Brian’s feet. 

Brian closed his eyes for a moment, smiling. He opened them and leaned forward, clapping Kravitz on either shoulder. Kravitz cringed in pain and Brian's hands fluttered apologetically around his bandages. “Sorry, sorry, it is -. I believe you, about Taako. Rather, it is that I trust you. I know it is so soon, but I wish to call upon your life debt, Alli,” he went on quickly, touching lightly at the bandages around Kravitz’s shoulder. Kravitz stiffened, wincing at the twinge when he moved so suddenly. “It is simply -. She is my mother,” Brian pleaded. “Can you let me talk to her? This is from your work with The Queen, so you can speak to the dead, yes?”

Kravitz shifted again, frowning. “It is technically possible, but -,” he demurred, then stopped. He’d might never get Olivia to trust him, but she wouldn’t hurt Brian even in a rage. His hands tightened in the bed sheets. There was no way anyone would let him near that studio again. At least, not knowing where he was going. “How many healing potions have they given me today?”

“Oh, I meant when you are better,” Brian protested, leaning away from Kravitz. 

“It’s now or never, Brian. I’ve operated under worse conditions,” Kravitz replied with a shrug that made him hiss in pain and hold his shoulder. 

Brian looked at him doubtfully. “They only gave you two,” he answered with a raised eyebrow. 

“Give me that bag over there,” Kravitz gestured to a bag on the dresser. Brian brought it over and Kravitz dug through it, pulling out three potions and a bottle of whiskey. Taking a deep breath, he downed them in sequence and chased down the disgusting taste with whiskey. pressing the back of his hand to his mouth, he tried not to vomit. Finally, he coughed and managed to keep everything down. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the potions start to knit back some of the crushed bones and torn muscle. Brian seemed somewhere between horrified and fascinated, but made no attempt to stop him. 

Not enough. Kravitz downed more of the whiskey and sat it aside, wiping his mouth. That would have to do. 

Brian frowned, shaking his head. “I really am not sure you should be moving around, the venom is quite disastrous to your whole body, Alli,” He shifted to look at Kravitz more seriously. “I’m an arachnologist besides it being the same class as my own venom, darling.” He put on a face of resolve, like he was about to deliver some very bad news. Kravitz met his eyes and waited. “Merle and I did some diagnostics and we both believe your left arm can’t recover its full use through traditional medical magic.”

“After something like that, I was expecting it would take time,” Kravitz demurred, shoving the blankets down and feeling the weakness in his left hand more keenly. It felt like he’d slept on it, his arm buzzing with muffled sensations of touch. 

“It’s not only time, darling,” Brian murmured, stopping him from getting up with a hand on his chest, resuming his seat on the bed. “You’ll need proper, physical therapy. Even then, the damage to your nerves is -,” he cut himself off with a sigh. “Alli, you do not simply walk away from this.” 

Kravitz felt the cold dread settle into his stomach. He was right-handed when writing, but he’d learned to fight better with his left. Damage would hamper his ability to do his job. He turned his hand over and watched the subtle tremble of his fingers. Kravitz grabbed the whiskey bottle and downed more of it straight. “Well, walking around isn’t going to make it worse at this point, Brian,” he grinned, running his right hand through his hair. “Won’t hurt it much if we go now rather than later. Won’t be a later if the BoB has anything to say about it.” 

Brian tilted his head thoughtfully, then laughed. “Okay, okay, darling, you are fun,” he said with a hand wave. He swiped some of the whiskey and took a drink. “I feel drinking before you ghost hunt is probably not a good idea, but you’re the expert,” he smiled, standing and holding out his hands. 

After some stumbling and wincing, Kravitz managed to get to his feet shakily. He leaned heavily on Brian for support. “I am the expert, aren’t I?” Plastering on a smile, he fumbled over the doorknob, not quite able to turn it. 

Brian took over for him, putting his hand over Kravitz’s and helping him turn. He pulled out his wand and cast an invisibility spell over them. They crept past the dining room table where Merle sat, hands folded in prayer. The stairs were more difficult, but they made their way up without too much noise. They snuck across the reception room and propped the doors open on their way into the museum. 

“We should be good past here,” Kravitz hissed, nodding to the doors. “Anyone past here is in _her_ territory.”

Brian dropped the invisibility spell with a nod. There was a noise behind them, of anger and surprise. Kravitz turned to see Taako standing there, in one of Kravitz’s shirts he noted, eyes red and bruised. “You gods damn maniac,” Taako choked, hugging himself. 

Kravitz knew they should keep moving. He could deal with Taako later, but something about simply fleeing didn’t sit right with Kravitz. “Taako,” he started, reaching out for him.

“Fuck off,” Taako snarled, eyes narrowing to cat-like slits. “We had this discussion once, huh? Any final requests, thug? Want me to hit ‘no’ on your niece’s birthday party invite?”

Kravitz flicked out his middle finger. Brian looked between them disbelievingly. “None of my business, but you two are children,” he laughed, covering his mouth. 

“You’re right, homie, none of your business,” Taako snapped at Brian, hugging himself tighter. “What kind of man of his word promises a later he doesn’t have?”

Kravitz pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll be fine -.”

“Fuck, you’re right, that bandage on your shoulder really screams _fine_ , handsome,” Taako interrupted, throwing up his hands in exasperation and pulling out his wand. “Like you were screamin’ in pain earlier.”

“Taako, Brian is Olivia’s son,” Kravitz barely kept himself from shouting. Taako looked like he’d been slapped. He glanced between Brian and Kravitz in bewilderment. Kravitz went on after clearing his throat, “I’ll talk to you after. It shouldn’t be long.”

Taako suddenly set his eyes in resolve and swaggered forward. “You don’t have the magic to keep that ritual up _for long_ , do you, handsome?”

Kravitz blinked, shaking his head. “I have enough for maybe ten min -,” he tried to explain.

“Yeah, you suck, bubala. You can leech from me,” Taako grinned, tugging Kravitz back out of the doorway. Kravitz stumbled into his arms, letting Taako hold him. 

Brian crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. “Oh, I’m sure it has nothing to do with it letting you see what’s going on, too,” he snorted, leaning against the wall. 

Kravitz put his hands on Taako’s shoulder to steady himself, but ended up sluding his arms around Taako's neck when his left arm almost gave out. “Alright, the less strain on me, the better,” he agreed, distracted by the obvious signs of crying splattered across Taako’s face. Taako tapped his wand against Kravitz’s cheekbone and whispered something against his ear that made it twitch hotly. He’d never had much of a knack with magic, but Taako made him want to. 

Taako tilted his head up and kissed him soundly, fangs nipping at his lips hungrily. Kravitz took as much touch as Taako was giving him, feeling something settle intimately in his chest that felt simply like _Taako_. He paused for a breath and reached out on the other plane to touch it. 

Taako made a noise that sounded almost like squeak, ears pinning against his head. He covered his mouth and averted his eyes. “Whatever you did, handsome, don’t do it again,” he hissed, still not quite looking at Kravitz. 

Kravitz grinned, reaching forward to trace Taako’s bottom lip with his thumb. “How long does this last? We might be able to use it when I get back,” he laughed, turning Taako’s face back towards his. 

Brian cleared his throat, waving his hand. “Not to be rude, darlings, but -,” he started, gesturing between them. 

“We should get going,” Kravitz summarized, taking a careful step back from Taako so he didn’t fall. Taako followed him, stealing one last peck, before pulling away almost reluctantly. 

“Actually, I was going to ask if I could join you later,” Brian said with his usual level of cheer. “I have a feeling I’ll need some distraction and since you two are at it, why the fuck not?”

Kravitz snorted and Taako tittered, putting a hand on his hip. “Yeah, why the fuck not?” He echoed, grabbing a chair and dragging it by the doors. 

Kravitz took a deep breath and slung his right arm back over Brian’s shoulder. “Why the fuck not,” he murmured, looking forward to hiding whatever feelings that sat with that new connection in his chest. Whatever was happening unnerved him. Sure, he’d loved before, but he’d never been with someone who made him want to only think of later with them in it. A future with someone in a vague sense had struck him once or twice, but knowing Taako was waiting outside the doors for them made him almost giddy. 

Neither of them were the _type_ , but maybe that would be what finally made something that worked. What that something might _be_ , he had no idea. Given that it was _Taako_ , he guessed it would be as exciting as it was infuriating. That thought sent him from almost giddy to actually giddy and it was only years of training that kept him from breaking into song. [If I Were a Bell](https://youtu.be/N_T9_iwAlD0) came to mind, making him laugh at how appropriate it seemed given the ever so slight buzz in his veins. Brian looked at him with a curious smile, but he waved his hand and they kept going. 

That last, stolen kiss still sat against Kravitz’s lips as he and Brian stumbled to the studio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyy! Another update! Hope you guys are really enjoying this.


	23. She is the Face in His Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian sits down on a bed of flour to take to a stranger about the life he lost before he ever knew it.

The wood creaked under their feet, the lights dark except for five black candles flickering in a pentagram; wax never touching the floor. The air seemed hot and uninviting, like the room would boil them alive for daring to step past its threshold. This was it, somewhere between the glass displays and vaguely humanoid bodies outlined in white paint.

This was where Brian’s parents had died. 

He had thought he would feel something. Some kind of connection or that it would bring forth a surge of memories. His memories held barely a glimmer of them. At one time, his therapist had asked him to draw his parents from memory and he hadn’t even been able to summon the pictures from his oma’s walls when his mother and father had been young and in love. As his oma told it, they had skated across the Atlantic on the back of his mother’s worn down motorcycle to chase the lights they’d only seen on worn out movie screens. 

This was the place they’d built their glittering empire and the place it’d collapsed on top of them. 

He thought he would feel more than the sweat dripping down his back. Brian’s hand brushed over the plaque next to the audience seats as they passed. He navigated them to the circle and sat Alli down carefully, watching every wince and cringe. 

Alli murmured a thanks and Brian wandered away, drawn to the set itself. As far as Brian was concerned, Alli was a reckless man there was no point trying to parent. He’d get himself killed if it was adjacent to whatever goal he was heading towards. Regretfully, it made the smell of the ocean with an undercurrent of something peculiar, which he’d assumed since they’d met was Alli’s pleasant cologne, no longer cover the smell of dust. He sneezed once, covering his face.

Brian’s breath fogged the glass over the old newspapers, not bothering to read them as he passed over. They’d been on Alli’s desk, with more context and notes bleeding the paper red. He came to a wall of pictures of those that had died. A special place to honor The Olivia Norman who had made the town flourish. A happy couple and their son in front of a treehouse. Brian was missing front teeth, splattered with the same paint coating the little treehouse, arm around both parents squatting next to him. Frederick was holding up his paint covered hands to the camera, a little handprint of it on one cheek, smiling brightly. Olivia was looking at him and laughing, face bright in the ways none of the posed pictures on his oma’s walls had been. She’d been seventeen in every photo and that smile made her look like she hadn’t aged a day. 

It was the only picture Brian had ever seen of them as a family. 

He sniffed and wiped his face with the back of his hand. There it was; the connection he had hoped to find. This was a part of Brian, a part that had been taken from him by jealousy and spotlights and all the things that had built Glamour Springs. It was something that had been lost, growing up with two parents whose love could shine in a faded, forty year old picture like it’d been painted by a brush made of heartstrings. This was the thing his oma had warned him he would lose trying to find his parents between the sordid pages of history. It was the childhood he never had. It was Glamour Springs.

It was him.

Brian Darling had died here alongside every future they could have made more bright by being in. He was someone else entirely, grown out of his memories of what it meant not to be an orphan. His fingers smudged along the glass, too far to touch a remnant of what came before the closed casket funeral. 

“Brian?” Alli called from the darkness. 

Brian started, turning around and moving back towards the candles. “I’m here,” he replied. 

Alli blinked into the darkness blindly, head craning towards Brian, obviously following the sound of his voice. “It’s time, sit next to me in the circle,” he murmured, raising a match. 

Brian picked his way over the complex lines and runes, settling next to Alli and starting to feel nervous. Alli lit the match and dropped it in the pile of lavender, scattered with drops of blood. 

Brian’s breath caught. There she stood, trembling with anger, glaring down at Alli, _The Olivia Norman_. Her face had more worry lines, but it was near to the face Brian saw in the mirror every morning. He stumbled to his feet, “Mama?” The word felt foreign in his mouth. 

She stiffened, making a choked sound. “Brian?” Then, she was hugging him. She picked him up and swung him around. Sitting him back on his feet, she took a step back and her hands fluttered over his shoulders. “Y - you grew up,” she whispered. Her arms were back around Brian’s shoulders, her voice breaking as she sobbed, “Oh thank the gods! You grew up!” 

Brian’s eyes started to water, hands hovering out awkwardly. This was a stranger of a woman that he would never truly know. He hugged her back, his tears never touching the blouse she had died in. “I - I did,” he mumbled. 

The Olivia Norman let him go again, wiping at her face furiously. “Tell me everything, Brian. What do you do? Are you married? Are you a father?” 

Brian laughed shakily, putting on his usual cheer. “I am a scientist, an arachnologist,” he smiled. 

“Yanno, you always did love bein’ part-spider. Always got the big kid books on spiders from the library. ‘M not surprised at all,” she beamed, putting her hands on his shoulders proudly. Her eyes caught sight of the ring on his hand, grabbing at it curiously.

“I - I was engaged, but not as of a couple weeks ago,” he explained without letting his smile slip. 

Her smile faded and she touched the ring. “You didn’t break it off, huh?” 

“His work is more important,” Brian answered, laughing softly. 

“ _His_?” She sent an acidic glare back at Alli.

“Oh, no, no, no. Not him,” Brian protested waving his hands. “Not that he’s _not_ a very nice man.” Pausing, he wondered if he should apply filters when talking to his own mother. He shrugged and forged on, “I would never marry him. He is more of something nice to take for a night, not take home if you understand.”

“I understand,” she nodded. Alli crossed his arms, looking offended. 

“Sorry Alli,” Brian snorted, pulling his hand back. 

“Tell me about who he was, then,” she said softly. They found somewhere in the back to sit and Brian told her everything. He told her about growing up in Germany, moving to America, and falling in love with Brad. His stories grew less hesitant and turned to hand waving with peals of laughter. She’d interject with her own stories and they’d fly into tangents about tarantulas and the old motorcycle she’d sailed across the Atlantic and the crush The Frederick Darling had on Taako. 

“He’d watch every single show!” She laughed, hand thumping on sacks of flour they were sitting on. “Ears attentive and forward every time it came on. I introduced him at a party and he almost burst into tears shaking that man’s hand,” she snickered, nudging Brian in the side. “He made his own shirt for this show, said ‘ _Taako keeps it Hot_ ’.” 

Brian wondered if he could miss something that had never been his. He wanted so badly to have had days to sit beside her and learn the things she hesitated over saying. Her tales dodged around the wars, the things that had worried her, or why she really left Germany. 

“And then he killed us,” she continued with a frown, looking straight ahead at Alli who was trying valiantly to pretend he wasn’t there. 

Brian looked down at his hands. “Mama, Taako didn’t kill you,” he protested, looking over to try to meet her eyes. She flinched at the name, clasping her hands together tightly and squeezing her eyes shut. “Mama?”

“It has to be him,” she whispered, opening her eyes and biting her lip. 

Brian looked at her carefully. “Why?”

“Because I don’t know who else it could be!” She cried, looking at Brian with desperation for an answer. “Who else could convince Sazed to poison _forty_ people? The man adopted three kittens after cryin’ ‘cause he found them in a box in the rain! He’s _not_ a murderer.” 

Alli stopped pretending he was part of the wall, stepping forward. “So, you know that Sazed poisoned you? How?”

She sighed and shifted, standing. Gesturing for them to follow, she led them to the back. “Should be ‘bout time,” she mumbled, leaning against the door. A vague impression of a woman came through the door and took a small sample with a clandestine wink at The Olivia Norman. She pointed after the woman as she stepped away. “Paloma didn’t die, she’s still alive. Comes to visit sometimes,” she said softly, shaking her head. “A vague impression of a man came through the door, going over to some boxes of chicken with a bottle of something. The Olivia Norman stepped forward, falling into her role. “Sazed, what are you doin’?”

The man froze, shoving the bottle into his pocket. “J - just checking that everything is in order,” he answered in a high, reedy voice before hurrying back through the doors he’d come in. 

Alli had out a pad of paper, having written something down. 

“He was the only one in here after Paloma and he was actin’ funny,” she sighed. “Makes him the only one who coulda done it. After _that man_ and I got into a fight, I stayed back here until the taping was over, smoked through two packs of cigarettes tryin’ to calm down.” She stepped forward, taking a piece of the chicken, then back against the wall, flicking cigarette ashes onto the concrete. “I didn’t eat nothin’ at the after-party. I was the first to go down,” she finished, taking a puff of her cigarette. “Cyanide.”

Alli nodded more to himself, jotting more things down. “I’m recording this, of course,” he informed her with a wave on his quill. 

She flicked more ash against the floor. Something sat strangely in Brian’s stomach. “Mama,” he started haltingly, trying to put it together. It clicked and he blurted it out in a rush, “But that couldn’t have killed you.”

“‘Course not,” she replied with a shrug. 

Alli looked up from his paper. “Why wouldn’t it have killed you? Cyanide is kind of effective at -.”

The Olivia Norman cut him off with a wave of her hand. Brian thought he’d have to try to emulate that in the future. “Us Jorōgumo are immune to poison, Mr. Dead Witness. You should know a thing or two about that, bein’ what you are.” 

Alli glanced away and Brian tilted his head curiously. “What is he?” 

Alli started to protest, but The Olivia Norman beat him to the answer, “He’s a sirin. Can’t you just see it in how he acts? Smells, too,” she said, gesturing towards him. “Like the ocean at midwinter and all the time in the world.” 

Brian couldn’t argue with that, but his eyes glittered. He’d learned enough about sirins from Sloane to have a few questions once they were done. Alli interrupted his thoughts, “Sounds like you knew one.”

“Maclynn Kravitz,” she shrugged, blowing out smoke through her nose. “Coulda made it farther than Taako Amaiat if she hadn’t had stage fright bigger than her dreams. Paid for her bus ticket back to Louisiana myself.”

“I _knew_ it. That girl, I swear,” Alli muttered with a snap of his fingers, rubbing his jaw. He paused, touching his chest and frowning. “I’m sorry Olivia, there isn’t much time,” he murmured, sounding genuinely apologetic. 

Brian’s eyes went to his mother. He could feel a tug in his chest, pulling him back towards his body. She dropped her cigarette and put a hand on his shoulder. Brian didn’t know what to say. It felt too sudden and messy, but that was death. She squeezed his shoulder and his head snapped up, looking at the flicker of the black candles. 

Alli leaned against his side, exhausted. He folded a glowing book into a square and pushed it into his temple. Brian helped Alli to his feet and they made their way to the reception area. Ahead of them, Taako was slumped in his chair, asleep. Alli stopped them before they stepped over the threshold. He held up a finger and listened closely. “I thought that might happen,” he smiled, turning to Brian. “She’s gone inactive. Not quite peace, not yet, but she trusts us to find it for her.”

Brian had missed her even before they had left the studio. He covered his mouth with a shaking hand and leaned against the wall, trying to blink back more tears. 

There was a part of Brian’s heart that had gone missing here and he felt like he’d found it on bags of flour. He left it on the altar of that glittering city that was never more than a town. It made him feel whole in a way that he’d never known.

 _Yet_ , Brian thought, he knew what he’d miss for the rest of his life. The tears spilled over onto his cheeks even as he tried to smile to reassure Alli. 

The front doors burst open, startling both of them and waking Taako. A familiar voice raised against the woman he’d learned was named Julia. 

“- either dead or -,” she cut herself off and blinked over at them. Then, gestured at Brian and Alli. “See? They’re perfectly fine. I told you, Brad, everything under control.”

Brad followed her gaze with a protest dying on his lips as he caught Brian’s eyes. “Brian?”

Brian wiped furiously at his face and gave Brad a big smile. “Oh, why, hello there, wasn’t expecting - you,” his voice cracked and he covered his face. Brad’s big arms were around him in an instant, sending Alli stumbling into the wall. 

“Brian, what happened? Why are you here?” Brad whispered, still hugging him tightly. 

Brian decided that he could care less if they were supposed to be exes and hid his face against Brad’s chest, crying against him softly. Brad didn’t seem to mind. His hands smoothed over Brian’s shoulders and down his back. 

“I don’t want to -. Not here,” Brian mumbled, trying to stop sobbing. “Room downstairs.” He was willing to push his luck for a distraction, for the comfort of someone he loved. Talking about Brad had made him miss him, but he was right there and Brian wasn’t going to miss this chance. 

“Whatever you want,” Brad murmured, putting a hand on the small of his back and guiding him towards the stairs. Brian leaned against his side, soaking up his warmth and kindness and love. 

There would always be things he missed, but Brad didn’t have to be one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not quite the conclusion! 
> 
> Sorry to ruin the immediate dreams of a Taako/Brian/Krav threesome. Not quite off the table, though.


	24. A Nerdy Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The triumphant hero has returned! What does it mean for Taako?

Only a moment of stunned silence passed. Taako looked between the now empty doorway to the stairs, Julia, and finally at Kravitz. “What the fuck?” He asked of no one and anyone. Julia shrugged vaguely, looking as confused as Taako. 

“Brad’s a lot _bigger_ than I imagined,” Kravitz muttered and sank to his knees with a wince. His hand clutched at his shoulder in pain. 

Taako hurried over, kneeling by his side. “Yeah, Brad’s an orc. Naturally inclined to rippling muscles,” he snorted, putting his hand over Kravitz’s. He felt the tired ache in his chest where the magic of the ritual had drained away at him. 

The tired ache and intimate connection. Shifting, spinning, settling and resettling beneath his ribs, it wasn’t something he could ignore. It felt like waves and moonlight and a kiss he shouldn’t have let happen. Fading now, the spell only having another hour in it, but it made Taako wonder what Kravitz felt there, too. 

Kravitz grinned up at him and put his right arm around Taako’s neck, pulling him down. Taako fell into Kravitz while Kravitz kissed him breathless and fell back onto the floor with little more than a grunt against Taako’s lips, “Ow.” His eyes were pretty and bright, shining with excitement. 

“You deserved that ‘ _ow_ ’, homie,” Taako said somewhere between mean and fond. He brushed a thumb along Kravitz’s cheekbone and swept a curl away from his lips. Kravitz lifted his left hand and stopped his wrist with the barest whisper of touch, kissing his fingertips around a smile. Taako felt that smile pushing the corners of his mouth up. “And what has you so happy, handsome?”

“Got your get out of jail free card, asshole,” Kravitz crowed, scattering kisses across Taako’s nose and cheeks. Taako felt heat spreading up his neck as his pulse thrummed against the hope he couldn’t let build in his chest. His cheeks ached with the smile he tried to hold back. 

“I think you might be delirious, bubala,” Taako laughed shakily, putting a trembling hand on the side of his face. He knew there was no point in hoping. Whatever freedom the light in Kravitz’s eyes promised would disappear as easily Kravitz could. If Olivia had held the smoking gun all these years, she had only turned it on Taako. Her truth would only condemn him to a deeper grave than the one he was already supposed to be sitting in. 

“No, no,” Kravitz protested, right hand clapping Taako on the bicep. “I did it. Just have to take this to a police department and I can’t imagine a speedier trial.” Taako didn’t dare let his breath catch on those words. Kravitz nudged his hand and kissed his palm, eyes glittering between his fingers. His right hand slid up Taako’s shoulder, slipping under his hair to rest against the nape of his neck. “I’ve made you three promises I intend to keep, Taako,” he murmured against Taako’s twice broken heart line. 

Julia cleared her throat and Taako reluctantly turned his head to look over at her. “Cute reunion and stuff, but HR is kinda here to do cleanup,” she sighed, frowning down at them. Taako wasn’t sure what to make of her expression. Her opinion of recruiting Kravitz wasn’t high. He got to his feet carefully, helping Kravitz over to the chair Taako had been occupying. 

“Not sure I can drive in this condition if that’s your hint I need to go, Julia,” Kravitz cautioned, slumping in the chair and rolling his head along the back to look at her. 

Julia toyed with her wedding ring, looking Kravitz in the eyes. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple, Kravitz,” she grimaced with a wave of her hand, words pulling the air in the room tight. Kravitz’s ears gave a small twitch and he sat up attentively. “You’re something that needs to be _cleaned up_.” Her frown deepened, more lines settling over her face.

Taako’s ears cocked forward and he put a hand on Kravitz’s unbandaged shoulder. “He’s been _cleaned up_ , my dude,” he insisted with a tug at the daisy earring. Kravitz tugged his head away with an annoyed flash of eyes Taako’s way. 

“He shouldn’t have been able to get in here if it was working, but the wards were - uh, _disabled_ ,” Julia said firmly, hand waving vaguely at the room around them. “This comes from HQ, Taako, I’m sorry.”

Taako took her words like an insult as Kravitz started to get up. “I’m not going to let myself -,” he started, but Taako shoved him back into the chair. 

“It works. I do my job, can’t help it if other people don’t do theirs,” Taako snorted derisively, meeting Julia’s eyes in challenge. “You maintain the wards or you lose their protection. Simple enough, my man.” 

“It’s from HQ, Taako, we can’t ignore direct orders like these. Especially not when we’ve exposed ourselves to _two_ civilians and let one get critically injured under our noses,” Major Burnsides’s voice rose a few decibels, squaring her shoulders. 

Taako raised his chin and stood straighter. Kravitz’s eyes darted between the two of them, assessing the situation. “It wasn’t under our noses, it was at my behest,” Taako proclaimed with a casual shrug. 

“How are you going to spin that one?” Major Burnsides glared, her eyes impassive.

Taako looked at his nails, leaning against the chair. “Testing the barrier endurance of magical properties under extreme spiritual activity. No place more haunted and easy to control than The Glamour Springs Museum of History. No spin,” he said easily. 

Julia’s face softened, a smile tugging at her lips. “Except he’s a civilian,” she observed, but in a way that Taako knew she saw the answer in front of them. They both looked at Kravitz expectantly. 

He looked back at them blankly. “I may have drank a little whiskey so I could actually get to my feet,” he pressed his lips together in a thin line. “Which is why I only _think_ I’m hearing you say I should join your band of thieves.” 

Taako stood in front of him, grabbing Kravitz’s chin. “I guess I’ll spell it out for you, handsome,” he explained, hand sliding down to his bandaged shoulder. “You got four options.”

“This sounds familiar,” Kravitz commented, lifting his hands and dropping them back on the armrests. “Pity there’s no chains this time.”

“Four options,” Taako went on, trying not to laugh and holding up a finger against his lips. “One, you sign a contract. That’s off the table since this is comin’ from HQ.” He flicked a second finger out, pressing it against the corner of Kravitz’s lips. “Two, you join our band of thieves.” Kravitz kissed his fingers as he rested his ring finger on his jaw. “Three, you get imprisoned in a gemstone until you’re a little more malleable.” Taako nudged Kravitz’s chin up with his pinky. “Four, they kill you. If it’s all the same to you, babe, I think we all don’t want the last ones to happen. That leaves you with option two.”

“I’m starting to think this whole thing was a conspiracy to get me to join,” Kravitz said, muffled slightly against Taako’s fingers. Taako tried not to be distracted by where Kravitz’s tongue and teeth met his skin while the man talked; it was difficult.

“As cute as you two are,” Julia pressed, “I need an answer.”

“I’d rather have a cage if you’re going to imprison me,” Kravitz replied stubbornly, pushing Taako’s hand away. “Put me in the damn gemstone, I’ll find a way out.”

Taako’s eyes snapped up to meet Kravitz’s. “Guess I really should mark ‘no’ for ya on your niece’s birthday invite, dumbass,” he snarled, not wavering against Kravitz’s glare. “Should I leave a comment saying you couldn’t go because you’re a stubborn piece of work, Kravitz?” 

“You care an awful lot about a niece you didn’t even know existed until tonight,” Kravitz growled, getting right into Taako’s face. “She knows things come up with work and it’s none of your business.”

“I’m the one at fault for telling you the brutal honesty, babe, sure,” Taako sneered, shoving Kravitz’s chest lightly. “She’ll grow up without you if you really think you can get outta that gemstone. _All_ she’ll know about you is that things come up with work.” 

Kravitz’s eyes and lips went flat in anger. Behind it, though, Taako was surprised to see pain. He blinked, caught off guard enough for his anger to drain. “It’s none of your business, Taako,” Kravitz hissed, and Taako knew to drop it. 

Taako averted his eyes, leaning back a few degrees. “Consider this seriously, bubala,” he persisted softly, putting his hand back on the side of Kravitz’s neck. Something clicked in his mind and he blurted, “You promised me later.”

Kravitz rolled his eyes, huffing in exasperation. “Did you really think that meant _all_ of my later, Taako?” 

“You didn’t specify and I’m selfish, so I’m taking all of it,” Taako replied quickly. He heard Julia muffle a laugh behind him, watching Kravitz’s eyes dart over his shoulders to look at her. “That’s why you get a lawyer before making deals, homie.”

Kravitz laughed, genuinely, his face lighting up over the rumble. His expression was softer when he looked at Taako again. “Are you sure you want all of my later?” 

Sometimes, there are questions that should be turned over thoughtfully. The things that change the course of a person’s life. “No, but wouldn’t it be fun to pretend like I was?” Taako answered without a moment of thought, grinning with less nerves than he felt. The question Kravitz had asked was only a mile marker. 

“I suppose option three isn’t so different from option two,” Kravitz whispered, looking away. Taako felt relief flood his chest. “More walls. Less fun,” he said with a nervous laugh that Taako echoed with a titter, suddenly not sure where to rest his gaze.

Julia clapped her hands, startling them both. “Right, well, we’ll start getting the paperwork done and back dated. That Brian guy bought us some time, but I’ll need you up by five to start signing things, Kravitz,” she instructed, a big smile on her face. Kravitz looked like he might argue, but wisely stayed quiet when Major Burnsides gave him a look. “You kids should get some sleep, been a long day - uh, night.”

“I’m afraid I’ve lost all track of time,” Kravitz apologized, looking at Julia curiously. 

“It’s midnight,” she replied, waving her hand and turning towards the stairs. “Holler if you need help getting down the stairs.” 

Kravitz blinked after her, turning towards Taako. Taako tweaked his ear with a smile, pulling out the daisy earring. Kravitz didn’t seem to notice, ear twitching in annoyance. “Stop doing that,” he growled, batting Taako’s hand away.

Taako grinned, fluttering his eyelashes. “Should we take her advice and go to bed, babe?”

“With a pickup line like that, I couldn’t possibly refuse,” Kravitz replied drily, holding out his hands to Taako, who helped him to his feet. 

“Listen, homie, I know your brand,” Taako smirked, carefully making his way down the stairs with Kravitz leaning heavily against his side. “That’s all you need to pump your engine.”

“Are you fustigating my proclivities?” Kravitz snorted, pausing when they reached the bottom of the stairs to take a moment to breath. 

“Guess you’re not doin’ that bad if you took pretentious for a thousand dollars, hombre,” Taako snickered, leaning against the wall with Kravitz. 

“If it’s midnight, it sounds like I missed some vocab from my word-of-the-day calendar,” Kravitz laughed, putting his arm back around Taako’s shoulder so they could finish the walk to the bedroom.

Taako glanced sidelong at Kravitz, switching on the lights. “Only a word.” He noted the bags under Kravitz’s bloodshot eyes, the tremor in his left hand hanging unusually slack at his side, and the droop of his head. “Honestly, I can’t tell if you’re joking about the calendar,” he said pointedly. 

Kravitz laughed and slumped against the pillows, feet hanging off the side of the bed. “What do you think?”

“You’re from a small town in Louisiana and don’t have an accent,” Taako sat on the edge of the bed, pulling a knee to his chest as he turned towards Kravitz with a curious tilt to his head. 

“Have a thing for cajun you think you’re missing out on?” Kravitz smirked, reaching over for the whiskey on the nightstand. His left hand grasped at it weakly, not quite able to pick it up. Taako grabbed it, taking a swig and coughing at the burn. Kravitz snatched it from his hands with his right and a snort, “Ass.” He took a drink, lips covering the stain Taako had left on the glass. “I decided I’d rather sound like I was from a talkie than the weird death cult that lives in the cemetery,” he said with a slight shrug. “Sorry to disappoint you, but my natural accent isn’t native to my town. I knew Arabic before a word of English. English is my -,” he paused, taking another drink while counting out his fingers silently, “fourth language? After all this time, I’d feel like I was making fun of my baba if I tried to go back.” 

Taako tilted his head curiously. “Sounds like high school was a blast for you,” he laughed, putting his hand over Kravitz’s and pulling the whiskey over for a drink.

Kravitz tracked the movement, smiling. “Worse places for a black kid in the thirties than a town where everyone grew up with one white friend and it was the same girl,” he laughed, pulling the whiskey back and covering the new stain when he took a drink. Taako wondered if he was doing it on purpose. “Are you going to drown your sorrows in whiskey with me?” Kravitz smirked and Taako could recognize a subject change when he heard one. 

Taako tittered and put a hand over Kravitz’s left carefully. “What sorrows do you have, handsome? You’re the fuckin’ idiot who ran into the arms of a poltergeist three times,” he challenged, stealing the whiskey from Kravitz. He wanted to test his theory. 

“Idiot who cleared your name,” Kravitz grinned, turning his hand under Taako’s and interlacing their fingers. “ _Will_ clear your name, once the evidence gets to the prosecution.”

It was such a tiny, intimate touch; Taako almost pulled away. Instead, he squeezed Kravitz’s hand a little tighter. He wanted to know what Kravitz had found, even knowing it wouldn’t do as much as Kravitz was talking it up. “Tell me how,” he whispered, leaning closer to Kravitz. After wiping the lip of the bottle with his sleeve, he took another drink. 

“All these years, Olivia had all the evidence in front of her,” Kravitz started, thumb weakly stroking Taako’s hand. Taako offered him the whiskey and he took it, putting his lips over the stain Taako had left on the glass. It proved Taako’s little theory, but he wasn’t sure to what end Kravitz was doing it. Kravitz handed the bottle back to Taako, continuing with his story, “She was the only one by the food. Paloma sampled a piece, right before Sazed came in. Olivia sampled a piece right after he left with a bottle of cyanide poorly hidden in his pocket.”

“Why did she think I was the who done it?” Taako took another drink, feeling like he’d need it. 

“She said Sazed isn’t a murderer. That you were the one who could have convinced him,” the way Kravitz was looking at him didn’t sit well in his stomach or heart. He knew Kravitz didn’t think he was guilty, but Taako couldn’t shake that focused look; the one he’d liked just the other day as it sought a new piece of everything that existed. 

Taako snorted, shoving the whiskey back into Kravitz’s hand. “We’d broken up two or three weeks before all that happened. Over not makin’ him a co-host. It -,” he sighed, sitting back. “It’s when I realized how much I missed Lup.”

Kravitz took another drink, chasing the new stain on the lip of the glass. “I believe you, if only that the cyanide would have knocked you out for a few hours. Like it did Olivia,” he frowned, pulling the bottle to his chest.

“What?” Taako really wasn’t following. “Did she not eat enough to kill her?”

“Olivia is a Jorōgumo. She’s as immune to cyanide as vampires are. She was poisoned, but she only passed out. Her real cause of death was what the real murderer did to their bodies,” Kravitz gave the whiskey back to Taako who drank it wordlessly, that information spinning in his head. It made him feel sick. They’d made him look at the crime scene photo so many times. All the blood and torn pieces he’d barely been able to register as having once _been_ people he knew. Cyanide was a painful way to go, but that was so much worse. 

He felt the burn of the whiskey in the back of his throat and pushed the bottle into Kravitz’s hand, pressing his knuckles against his mouth. 

Kravitz didn’t seem to notice beyond holding the whiskey to his chest. “I think she was more worried about how her husband died than how she died,” he sighed, shaking his head. Taako’s eyes watered from the sting and effort to keep the alcohol down. “She didn’t hate you and she didn’t think you were guilty. Her soul lingered and trapped the others because she blamed herself for being too upset about the fight to figure out what Sazed did. She watched him do it, she knew he was acting strange and she went back to smoking.” 

He gestured, before continuing, “In that memory, you could see it on her face, she took a step forward like she’d follow him. She sniffed the chicken before she ate it, only a little sample to try to figure out what he did. Olivia has blamed herself all these years for fighting with you because she thought she caused it. She couldn’t rest until she had vengeance against _herself_.” His eyes dropped to the floor. “Sad, but not uncommon for victims, especially ghosts. I think Brian reminded her of who she was. That she had died, too,” he finished his rush of words by squeezing Taako’s hand and looking up. “Taako? Are you - ?”

Taako barely made it to the toilet. Kravitz trailed after him, using the walls for support, holding his hair out of his face and wordlessly handing him a glass of water when he finished. “When was the last time you ate anything?” 

“Last blood was on that beach. Food? It’s been a while,” he mumbled squinting at the ceiling and coughing weakly. He rolled his head on the tiles to look up at Kravitz. “You haven’t eaten for at least a day either, my man.”

“How do you feel about pizza? Pepperoni?”

Taako felt his stomach try to start another revolt at the thought of pepperoni. He sat up, leaning back over the toilet. “Cheese,” he protested before curling back on his side.

Kravitz nodded, fiddling with his phone and laying back on the tiles next to him. Taako hide his face against Kravitz’s stomach. “Should be here soon,” Kravitz announced, setting his phone aside and patting the top of Taako’s head with a lot more amusement than Taako felt was necessary. “So you’re a get sick kind of drunk, huh? Thought you’d be a giggly one, if I’m being honest.” Taako huffed and shoved Kravitz’s shirt up, blowing a raspberry on his side. To his delight, Kravitz started giggling and swatting at Taako to get him to stop. “Knock it off,” he wheezed. 

Taako stopped with a smirk. “There’s your giggly, babe,” he snickered, resting his cheek against Kravitz’s navel. 

Kravitz began playing with Taako’s hair. Taako leaned into his touch, soaking up the warmth. “Starting to regret promising to put up with you,” he snorted, right hand ghosting down the length of his ears, making Taako squirm. “I’m going to drink more. D’you want to, too?”

“Yes, my dude, I thought you’d never ask,” Taako answered, smacking the floor. “I need a lot more alcohol.” He summoned a mage hand to retrieve the whiskey and sat up long enough to take a drink and wash the taste out of his mouth even more than the water had. Kravitz took it from him before he even sat it on the floor. Taako soaked in Kravitz’s warmth and the smell of his sweat, an undercurrent of something he couldn’t quite reach with words. He was just drunk enough to nuzzle his face into Kravitz’s bare stomach, making him flinch and huff a laugh. 

“You’re awful,” Kravitz accused with a smile, threading his fingers through Taako’s hair and pulling it out of its messy bun. He sat up, gently tugging Taako with him to the wall so he could stay up just enough to keep drinking. Taako sprawled back across his thighs and stomach. Kravitz’s hands smoothed down Taako’s neck and over his, brushing against the tips of his burning ears. Taako shifted and rolled, chasing each touch with soft gasps. The slow, meandering path was melting the tension from Taako’s body. He stretched across Kravitz’s chest, arms loosely around him, wrists resting on the tiles as Kravitz’s hands added kneading his shoulders to their routine. 

They stopped suddenly and Taako whined at the loss, rolling his head to the side, glaring up at Kravitz. Kravitz frowned down at him in concern. “What happened?” 

“Dunno what you’re talkin’ ‘bout, babe,” Taako plucked the whiskey from him and took a drink. 

Kravitz’s thumb smoothed over Taako’s cheek. “Your eyes are -,” he gestured vaguely. “Did something scare you?”

Taako made an impatient noise, nuzzling into Kravitz’s hand. “‘M fine. Happens when we feel good sometimes,” he growled, flopping back against Kravitz’s chest.

Kravitz resumed what he’s been doing with his hands. “D’you purr, too?” 

Taako cracked an eye open, “Mm?” 

“You’re a big cat,” Kravitz grinned, stroking up both of Taako’s ears as they twitched in annoyance. “Somehow more petty and angry.” He nudged Taako to move, “Pizza’s here.” 

It hadn’t felt like thirty minutes. Taako rolled off reluctantly, trying to sweep away the fog over his brain. “Ugh, can’t they bring it here?” He complained, stumbling to his feet and pulling Kravitz to his. Kravitz waved him off to walk on his own, albeit slow and careful.

Taako went upstairs and grabbed the pizza, returning downstairs to find Kravitz already at the dining room table with two plates. He was more hungry than he’d thought as he dug in, as bland as it tasted. Kravitz poked at his, finally resigning himself to eat, then making a noise of surprise and putting a hand over his mouth. His other hand reached up, feeling at where the earring was no longer at. “Why didn’t you tell me you took it off?” 

Taako shrugged, biting into his second slice. “You figured it out, handsome,” he replied indifferently. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Kravitz savor the pizza like it was the best food he’d ever tasted. He snorted and finished his third slice, sitting back. “Didn’t you notice the whiskey tasted like whiskey?” 

Kravitz blinked, opened his mouth, then shut it. “It’s been a long day,” he said defensively. “And with whiskey that cheap it mostly tastes like burn.” 

Taako laughed, pulling the bottle over and finishing it off. He went to the kitchen and found a bottle of wine, popping it open. After a pause, he grabbed a second bottle of wine and sat both on the table. He gulped down a quarter of the bottle before turning a question on Kravitz, “What kind of music do you like to play, bubala?” 

Kravitz swallowed a bite of pizza quickly, holding up his finger. “All kinds, but something that is a little faster, a little more life to it is more fun,” he smiled, pulling the wine across to take a swig. 

That seemed about right to Taako. He leaned an elbow on the table with a smirk, “Like your music like you like your men, then? Fast and fun.” 

Kravitz almost choked, swallowing hard and laughing between coughs. “Don’t forget easy,” he wheezed, gulping down the wine. 

“Babe, please, you have a hair trigger libido,” Taako snorted, popping open the second bottle. 

“I’m not going to argue with that. Which is why I like people who can match me,” Kravitz replied with a grin, wiping his face with a napkin. “I actually heard a song the other day that -,” he cut himself off, pulling out his phone and holding up a finger. “What’s the name?” He mumbled under his breath. Taako looked over curiously, tilting his head and drinking more. He knew he was properly drunk at this point, but he also had a few more hours until sunrise where he could sober up and remember where, exactly, he was. Kravitz’s fingers suddenly stopped poking at his phone. “I don’t need YouTube, I can play it for you,” he declared, grabbing Taako’s hand and stumbling to his feet. 

“Sure you can, babe?” Taako snickered, grabbing his bottle of wine. He found the floor a little more uneven than he expected it to be, tripping into Kravitz’s chest. They barely stayed upright, wobbling dangerously and laughing, arms around each other. Kravitz tugged him out of the room, making their way to the den area.

“It’s somewhere around here,” Kravitz slurred, freezing when he saw it in a sitting room. He made his way over to the old upright, testing a few of the keys. 

Taako sat on his left, clutching the wine to his chest. “Impress me, handsome,” he teased, nudging Kravitz in the side. 

Kravitz grinned and started at the song. His right hand moved in a beautiful flourish of music, but his left all but fumbled at the keys. The music came out discordant despite his utter and total focus. He stopped with a frustrated huff, picking his hands up and starting from where Taako assumed the top was. It was more messy this second time. Kravitz set his jaw and tried again, fingers fumbling at two or three keys at once instead of the ones he was obviously trying to force them to. Taako frowned, drinking more as he watched. Kravitz’s jaw was not set on this round, lips parted slightly, the next try carried the tension to his shoulders, whispering the melody to himself. Each attempt etched the desperation deeper into his face. 

“Stop,” Taako hissed, putting a hand on Kravitz’s arm. “It won’t make it better like this.” 

Frowning, Kravitz stopped, clutching at his hand. “I can do it, I just need a minute,” he whispered hoarsely, staring at his left hand trembling against the keys. He tried to press a key, but no more than tapped it partially down. 

Squeezing Kravitz’s bicep, Taako sighed, “It’s not a big deal, handsome. You _just_ got injured. Don’t expect peak performance.” 

“Music is all I have, Taako,” Kravitz blurted, sounding lost and scared. “I can’t -,” his voice was high with an anxiety Taako hadn’t seen in him before. His eyes were too bright and he was blinking rapidly.

Taako took his left hand and scooted close, putting it around his shoulders. He rested his left hand on top of the keys and pulled Kravitz’s down so it was on top of his. “Play for me,” he whispered, hand sliding around Kravitz’s waist. He could feel the tremor in his hand like this, but then experimental twitches, Taako did his best to press the keys as Kravitz directed by tapping his fingers on top of Taako’s. He lifted his hand slightly, shifting it to the right and Taako followed, skating across the piano. Taako concentrated on telling what was purposeful and what was only the shaking.

He missed a note, entirely his fault and seeing exactly where Kravitz had wanted him to go. “Fuck,” he swore, hearing Kravitz choke on a laugh next to him. The rumble of it by his side made him bite back a smile. Kravitz started over again and Taako missed an earlier note, cursing, “Shit.” Kravitz snorted and kept moving them along, laughing at each foul note punctuated by Taako’s increasingly colorful swears. A [song began to emerge](https://youtu.be/SQcdyfvuRNg) somewhere between their laughter and terrible language. Kravitz made their hands dance faster with the spell of the music. Taako leaned into the sway of the crescendo and Kravitz’s playful sweep across the keys. He could _feel_ Kravitz living and dying with every note. Kravitz chased the final notes with a slam on the keyboard, leaping to his feet and barely managing not to trip, taking a dramatic bow. 

Taako clapped and blew him kisses while Kravitz made fanfare noises, waving his hands in the air. They both stared at each other in a moment of silence, smiling and catching their breath. Taako broke first, “Why did you want me to hear that?”

Kravitz’s smile turned almost shy and he ran a hand through his hair. “‘S not important anymore,” he laughed sheepishly. 

“Bullshit, c’mon,” Taako persisted, tugging Kravitz back onto the bench. 

Kravitz rolled his eyes, toying with the keys under his right hand. “It made me think of you, but that was -,” he turned to Taako with all the stars in his eyes. “Beautiful, love. Better than any love song I could ‘ope to write.”

“Love song? You writin’ love songs about me, bubala?” Taako said with mock offense, at least three types of charmed by how Kravitz’s accent thickened and his grammar worsened the more excited he got. It was starting to sound like the cockney Kravitz had tried on him that first night, making Taako start to wonder if it was more native to him than he let on.

“If I lie ‘n say ‘yes’, can it be later now?” Kravitz grinned, grabbing Taako’s hands. 

“Macallis, ‘m ‘fraid you don’t quite understand how to woo me,” Taako snickered, flicking Kravitz’s ear. 

Kravitz huffed in annoyance, putting a hand over Taako’s crotch. “This better?”

“Much,” Taako laughed, pulling him into a kiss. It was sloppy and lazy, Kravitz’s hands turning Taako’s hair to a mess. Kravitz slipped into his lap, kneeling on the bench. The piano protested as Taako pushed him back onto it. He fumbled for the cover and pulled it down. 

Slumping over Taako slightly, Kravitz hugged Taako as tightly as he could. “Thank you,” he whispered against Taako’s ear. 

Taako hesitated, then hugged him back, hands sliding over Kravitz’s shoulder blades. “This is kinda dumb, but I’m drunk. D’ya just wanna go back to your room and sorta -. Ugh. Sleep next to each other?”

Kravitz leaned far enough back to look down at Taako with a smirk, “You mean cuddle, love.” 

“Taako’s not a cuddler,” Taako protested, thumping Kravitz on the back. “I haven’t eaten in days and I’m cold and bein’ here really sucks, homie.”

“Okay, okay,” Kravitz laughed, pecking Taako on the corner of his jaw. They concentrated on navigating themselves back to the room. Kravitz peeled off everything but his sweatpants. Taako only kept Kravitz’s shirt and his boxers on, curling against his back and burying his nose against the hair at the nape of Kravitz’s neck.

Kravitz’s breath evened into soft snores after only a few minutes, hand squeezing Taako’s in his sleep. It was warm and comfortable, Kravitz’s breath lulling Taako to sleep. At the edge of dreaming, he finally found the words to describe what Kravitz smelled like under the sweat and musk.

It was the ocean that had lapped at his feet that last night in their village and the perfume drifting from the old woman who had smiled while she asked why they weren’t in bed. Taako had cheerfully told her they could stay out as late as they wanted because they didn’t have a home. The old woman asked if they wanted one. 

Lup had shaken her head and started to pull Taako away, whispering about sea monsters in the language only they shared. Taako had pulled her back and told the old woman, “ _Yes._ ” 

She could never be their parents, but the Fates, she said later while pinning laundry to a line, had guided her to that moment. So, they called her their Aunt. 

Taako had always thought her perfume smelled like warm sunlight peppered with dust motes and the breeze that carried the garden into their library. He finally fell into his dreams, breathing in the smell of home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took a couple days on this one. A longer chapter but hopefully it was fun. c:


	25. I'll See You Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The acceptance of a couple things. The beginning of something else.

There was a pounding at the door. Kravitz woke up under the weight of Taako. He tried to roll over, but Taako clung to him, whining as he moved away. Leaving the warmth and comfort of his arms was difficult, not only because trying to free himself only made Taako hug tighter. He rolled over and splattered kisses along Taako’s face. Taako’s eyelashes fluttered and he huffed until his hands slid to either of Kravitz’s cheeks to redirect Kravitz’s mouth to his. Kravitz used the opportunity to slip out of the bed, Taako’s hands reaching out for him before flopping tiredly onto the bed.

“Mean,” Taako groaned, barely coherent, “You tricked me.”

Kravitz snorted and opened the door, Julia peeking through the crack. “It’s five,” she said simply, turning on heel and moving towards the kitchen. He rubbed his temples and followed after her, closing the door behind himself softly. 

With the hangover starting to pound in his head and the general lack of sleep, Kravitz didn’t manage to process the piece of paper Julia slid in front of him at the table. He looked up and tapped the book of papers she pushed next to it with his claw. She laughed and gestured at it. “Standard nondisclosure agreement. I don’t entirely understand it, but according to Legal it’s airtight even if the Bureau is somehow uncovered,” she answered, popping a hip onto the table and crossing her arms. “Penalties include fines, docked salaries, jail, curses, etc.” 

Kravitz leaned on an elbow, table creaking as he squinted in the dim lighting. “The Bureau, as far as anyone else is concerned, doesn’t exist, right?”

“Exactly,” she smiled, sorting through the tome of paperwork. “You officially work for Specter Solutions, Inc.” 

Frowning, Kravitz looked a little more closely at the paper. “Do they know about this or -?”

“Remember when we were talking about HQ last night? Specter Solutions’ board of trustees are HQ,” Julia shrugged, watching the gears in his head start to turn. “We are an actual branch of the company, but we’re a small sales office in Connecticut.” 

“That better explains Brad,” Kravitz mumbled, more to himself. 

“Oh, I almost forgot, hold out your left hand,” Julia said, pulling something out of her pocket. Kravitz squinted at her suspiciously, but held out his trembling hand. When it refused to stay up by itself, he supported his elbow with his right. Whistling low, Julia snapped a bangle on his wrist. “Olivia really did a number on you, huh?” 

Kravitz frowned and let his hand drop back to the table. “I’ll live,” he deflected, running his fingers over the odd design of the bangle, still cool to the touch. “What is it?” 

Julia held out her own, tapping it until the same design appeared. “Your keycard into your approved areas, key to your apartment, link to an emergency line and tracking device. It’s standard, in case you get into trouble or try to get away. Wouldn’t try to take it off,” she explained, shaking her head and sliding over a brochure. She folded it open and tapped a comically graphic cartoon of a man trying to snap his bracelet off and it appearing in worsening places. 

“Great, I’ve exchanged one cursed item for another,” he growled, skimming the brochure. 

Julia shrugged with a smile and slid over another paper for him to sign. “Your starting salary is forty kay, it’ll be upped depending on where they place you. Scientists like Lup usually get higher salaries, while foot soldiers like Magnus get less. Unless you mess up enough to get your salary docked like Taako who makes _less_ than Magnus and, now, you,” she laughed, waving her hand. “Has he told you he has to work two jobs and lives with his sister?” 

Kravitz sighed, leaning an elbow on the table. “Of course he’s as broke as I am. That’s the kind of luck I’m having,” he groused, fussing with his hair. 

She laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “It’ll work out,” she reassured him, handing him the pen. Considering he didn’t have much of a choice, he sprawled his looping name across each sheet Julia presented him with. It took them the better part of an hour and six cups of coffee, but Julia sent it off with a transfer device only a minute before Brad walked into the kitchen with a yawn. 

Kravitz tried not to burn a hole in the man’s boxers with curiosity. Brad turned around from pouring himself a coffee and made a surprised sound. “Oh, Kravitz, right?” He almost jogged over, grabbing Kravitz’s hand and shaking it, as well as most of Kravitz’s body, eagerly. “Hey there, I’m Brad. Brian’s told me a _lot_ about you. It’s good to see you up so early. I was afraid I’d have to wake you up myself and that’s never a good start of a professional relationship.”

Kravitz nodded mutely, trying not to look at either of their current states of unprofessional undress. He also tried not to wonder exactly which things Brian had told Brad. Julia frowned, setting her phone aside. “What do you mean ‘professional’, Bradson? Last night you were wondering about what gem fit best with his new imprisonment,” her tone made Kravitz uneasy and he turned his eyes up to Brad.

“Well, seems that won’t be possible. Spoke to Sloane and HQ this morning about some information Brian provided me with. Kravitz will be joining the Bureau whether he agrees or not,” he answered with a an apologetic wave of his hand. “I’d tell you what, but it’s even above my pay grade. Kravitz is a little _special_ and no one wants the trouble of him disappearing.” He gave Kravitz a genuine smile. 

Kravitz pinched the bridge of his nose as he realized what Brian must have told Brad. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that the Special Humans Department would be out for blood if he suddenly went missing. “I’m not thrilled about so many people knowing about _that_ ,” he growled, gulping down the last of his coffee and standing. 

“Sloane was given approval from the powers that be to study you. She already had your name,” Brad answered earnestly. “Working at the Bureau is great, I promise, you won’t even remember you were conscripted.” Kravitz glared down the hallway instead of rolling his eyes. 

Julia laughed and covered her mouth. “He already works here. Recruited last week, Bradson. Took a while to get everything up to HR, you know how it is,” she waved her hand and settled it on top of her phone. 

“Yeah, one happy employee,” Kravitz snorted, looking between them. “I’m going back to my room.” He turned, going to his room. 

As he opened the door, he heard Brad say, “Is he always like that?”

“Taako and Magnus like him for some reason,” Julia answered, sounding slightly exasperated. 

Kravitz shut the door behind himself and leaned against the door, rubbing his temples. This wasn’t going to be easy, but he’d figure a way out of this as much as he would anything else. 

“Krav,” Taako mumbled, eyes open and watching him from the bed. 

The source of all his current woe. Kravitz went forward and took Taako’s hands kissing his fingers. He crawled into bed next to him and let Taako wrap around him tightly again. Taako tucked his head under Kravitz’s chin and even tangled their legs together.

“Stay,” he murmured against Kravitz’s collarbone. 

Kravitz ran a hand through Taako’s hair, letting his hand rest against the side of his neck and sighing in exasperation. “I will, for a little while,” he whispered, feeling the hours of missed sleep and Taako’s cold sapping his warmth. He knew he was only being used for a heater, but it felt nice to be clung to like he was important. The moment the sunrise fully hit, Kravitz felt it in the way Taako stiffened against him and stopped breathing. 

He had the uncomfortable thought that it was like sleeping next to a corpse. Trying to edge away, Kravitz shifted. Taako’s breath returned and he tightened his grip before going as still as death once again. Kravitz bit back a smile and leaned into him. 

Under his breath, Kravitz whispered a prayer to his Queen against Taako’s hair. Something for a routine he no longer kept and a peace he’d never had. His ring and scar lit white as she received him, her presence sliding over his shattered nerves and the pulse at his wrist. It was stronger than usual, the ghost of her fingers splaying his hand at Taako’s waist. His fingers trembled to stay there, then she gone. There was no way to ask her if she disapproved or cared even the slightest. He curled his hand up and rested it against Taako’s shoulder blade, feeling the absence of breath or answer. 

Still, he thought he could live with this. It’d been a long time since death bothered him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! This chapter was brief, but had a good point to end. The next chapter will be the immediate next part, of Kravitz getting settled into The Bureau, etc. A couple side stories! Then, the Magnus arc.


	26. Why Do They Always Disappear After Something Cryptic?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian visits the first resting place.

The flowers stirred along the base of the statue. The sun sparkled across the bronze in the places where the apple trees did not cover it. Brian had been here nearly forty years, struggling to understand that death meant his mother wouldn’t swing him around when she got home. That there would be no more cookies from his father when he got home. 

That the words ‘mama’ and ‘papa’ would one day be the concept he struggled to grasp. 

He stood in front of forty graves overlooking the town. Most of the stones were simple and worn, modest places of rest. Brad ran his hands over the broken statue of Istus, touching the broken mess of bronze yarn and torn tapestries she was weeping over. He sighed in frustration and tried to use his sleeve to wipe away the graffiti smile across her face. 

Brian looked down at the broken stones at his feet. By process of elimination, he’d determined they were his parent’s graves. Paloma had apologized when he’d asked for directions, saying the city had refused to grant her money to restore them when they’d been broken some twenty years prior in a party. He didn’t feel particularly bad that their names no longer sat on the pretty hill. An apple tree grew on top of their joint graves, still weeping blossoms where the other trees hung fruit. 

A plaque that was newer than the rest had told him that it stayed in bloom year-long, a natural phenomena. “Hello?” He called into the tree’s hollow and put his ear to it, hearing what sounded like waves in return as the plaque had promised. Suddenly, Brian remembered they’d built the treehouse in an apple tree. He laughed and leaned against the trunk, dropping the collection of flowers he’d scrounged at the base of the hill. An older woman leaned down next to him and started picking up the scattered blooms. 

“Oh, no, you don’t have to,” Brian protested, startling slightly. He hadn’t noticed her there before. 

“Oh, but I do,” she replied with a smile, putting the flowers back in his hands and using the trunk to get back to her feet. “Are you here to see the tree?”

She looked at him like she already knew. “No, the graves it grew on,” he answered, giving her a thin smile and clutching the flowers to his chest. 

“Funny, this tree, don’t you think?” She looked up into the boughs. 

Brian blinked and looked back at the broken stones. “I suppose so,” he laughed, setting the flowers on top of the stones. 

“You look like her, but not a day over twenty-five,” she smiled at him kindly.

“Thank you,” he laughed awkwardly. “I like to take care of myself. Did you know her?” 

“If you cut this tree down, you would count twenty-five rings,” she went on as if he hadn’t spoken. Brian froze and unease prickled goosebumps along his arms. “This tree is the apple you put in their coffin. It grew from your love and an inheritance she did not have time to give to you. Sazed Young may have poured the poison, but it was not him who wished her dead before she had that time.” She put one of the blossoms in his hair. “You can’t change the pattern, but you can give them a chance. The heart is yours and you, Brian Darling, its protector. Choose your champion carefully.” 

“What?” He turned to look at her in confusion, heart hammering in his chest. The wind scattered his flowers over the grave and the empty spot where the old woman had been standing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tiny Brian interlude before we get on with things hm hm hm!


	27. Knock Knock the Author's Not Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of something new always comes from shedding the old.

The dream was something he wasn’t used to. Outside the open bay windows was the sound of waves, brushing against the edges of their backyard. Kravitz picked through the flowers for weeds, Taako at his side under a sunhat. He was beautiful in the sunlight, all freckled skin and shining hair. Vaguely, Kravitz recalled that he hated gardening, but this was supposed to be their house and Taako seemed to be enjoying it. 

Behind them someone shouted, “Dad! Baba!” 

Kravitz turned and froze. It was his niece like she was the last time he saw her, ten with braces and a big smile. “Macy?” He didn’t know why she was calling him _baba_ or where his brother was. 

Macy jogged over and held out a seashell to them, “Look what I found!” 

Taako smiled and inspected it carefully. “Good job, kiddo,” he grinned. 

Suddenly, Brian and Brad were also passing it between themselves. Kravitz had no idea where they came from, but it unnerved him. “Very nice, darling,” Brian approved, giving Macy a pat on the head that seemed _fatherly_. Brad flexed and nodded in agreement. Kravitz thought he’d had a shirt on a moment ago, but he didn’t anymore. Not that he was complaining. 

“Macy,” he started, hand on her shoulder, “Where’s your dad?” She looked between Taako, Brian, and Brad with confusion. “No, no,” he muttered, anxiety and dread growing. “Where is my brother?”

Brian put a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have a brother,” he answered cheerfully. 

“I used to,” Kravitz said defensively, standing up. 

“And you fucked that up, too, homie,” Taako sneered, shoving at Kravitz’s shoulder. 

Kravitz bristled and refused to stumble, hands balling into fists. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” he meant to snarl it, hurl it back at Taako, but it came out as a whisper. 

There he was in New Orleans. His date faceless, but handsome and the two of them tucked into a corner. He laughed at something and reached across to squeeze his hand. Brief and tender, before it was gone again. 

“Kravitz?” 

Kravitz turned and froze. Philips stared at him and Kravitz realized he’d seen. He’d seen and he _knew_. Cold fear set his veins, but he forced on a smile. “Hey there, Philips, Marcine,” he nodded between Philips and his wife. “This is an old friend of mine.” Licking his lips, he paused. “Knows my old man.” He had to fix this. This wasn’t where it ended. 

It was where it ended. 

Caren, sixteen with puffy eyes, snarling into Kravitz’s face, “You’re not my brother!” Kravitz recoiled like he’d been punched. It hurt more, so much more. 

Bleeding out in an alleyway, he wondered if his family would even be able to recognize his face. He put a hand against the hole in his side and realized he was dying. The mouth of the alleyway seemed so distant. He started crawling, dragging his broken body over the concrete. A raven fluttered close, a ring in its beak. It hopped after him as he ignored it. As he’d ignored it for over fifty years. 

He startled out of sleep at a soft knock from the door. Sweat dripped between the dip in his spine. He wiped at his face with a sniff. Taako had absorbed his heat and become a furnace in the night, but didn’t stir when he pulled away. 

“I’m coming,” Kravitz called at the door, knowing Taako was far too gone into vampire sleep to be woken by anything less than the apocalypse itself. He neatened his hair as best he could and cracked the door open.

Brian beamed down at him, Brad hovering in the background. “Good morning, darling. I thought someone should wake you before the police station closed,” he smiled, brushing a curl out of Kravitz’s face. “We were going to lunch if you wanted to come and make a detour with us.”

The intimacy of the touch surprised Kravitz. He glanced at Brad, then back at Brian. The evidence was still tucked inside his temple. He’d need to get it to the police soon. “Yes,” he answered, glancing down at his sweatpants. “Let me grab a shower and some clothes.” 

“Oh, Alli, I don’t mind, but I suppose the police will,” Brian laughed, touching Kravitz’s chest playfully. Heat started up Kravitz’s neck and he glanced at Brad again. That was definitely an intimate touch. 

“Uh, yes,” Kravitz answered, backing away. “I won’t be long.”

“We’ll be waiting,” Brad chimed in cheerfully. 

That was weird. Kravitz shut the door and picked his suit from the bag. It seemed like things between Brad and Brian had improved or were improving, but Brian had definitely been flirting with him. Brad hadn’t seemed jealous. 

_Well_ , Kravitz thought, mind edging towards some creative ways Brad could use his muscles while Brian used his knot tying skills. He stopped those in their track and rushed through the shower. It was noon when he came out with a towel still in his hair. His attempts to dress quickly were thwarted by the buttons and his left hand refusing to cooperate. It felt like a long and arduous task, like he was wearing three layers of thick gloves. It hurt a little, too, every time he tried to force his fingers in a place they didn’t want to go. Halfway there, he thunked his head against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut. He took in deep breaths through his nose to calm the panic swelling in his chest. 

This was nothing, he reminded himself. He’d lived through worse than trouble buttoning his shirt. Finally, he managed to get everything in order. Before he left, he glanced at Taako and impulsively kissed him on the cheek before heading out. 

Brian and Brad were sitting at the kitchen table, laughing with their fingers intertwined. Kravitz hoped he wasn’t going to be a third wheel throughout lunch. “Sorry that took so long,” he apologized, hat against his chest. 

Brad’s eyes lit up as he looked Kravitz over and he wasn’t sure if Brad was checking him out or finally getting a look at him without Kravitz feeling like shit. Shifting uncomfortably, Kravitz tried not to let his smile turn shy. “It’s no problem, darling. Worth it with how good you look,” Brian smiled with a wave of his hand, helping Brad up and kissing his cheek. 

Kravitz laughed, feeling awkward at the compliment. “I’ll drive,” he nodded, pulling out his car keys.

Brian frowned and shook his head, “Not with the amount of healing potions you drank yesterday. Brad is driving.”

“Bet your dreams were a mess, pal,” Brad commented as Kravitz reluctantly put his keys away. “I can’t imagine taking so many at once. You’re tough.” 

“Been through worse,” Kravitz muttered as they went to the car. The car was newer and sensible. It fit what he knew about Brad. He piled into the backseat and fidgeted with his phone while Brad backed out of the parking lot. 

“So, you’re a sirin,” Brad commented, glancing at Kravitz through the rearview mirror. 

Kravitz sighed and set his phone aside. At least the car was away from prying ears. “I am,” he replied neutrally. 

Brian turned in his seat to look between both of them. “It is interesting. My friend, Sloane - Dr. Sloane, she studies birds. She was very excited they gave her permission to study you,” he smiled, bringing a casual tone to it that relaxed Kravitz’s shoulders. 

“I’m excited to learn they didn’t ask my permission or bother to tell me,” Kravitz sighed and waved his hands vaguely. 

“That is about every experience I have had with SHD,” Brad laughed. “Think they’re doing you a favor you never asked for and don’t bother to tell you they did it.”

“Even worse when you are endangered. They once showed up at my house with a full research crew and were very annoyed we were on vacation,” Brian added with a grin. 

Kravitz snorted and crossed his arms. “I’m glad I grew up before they cared. They sent me off to fight in a war when it was my baba, aunt, and me. Now, they keep trying to revoke my bounty hunter license. Say it’s too dangerous.” He shook his head and sat back. “Act like I need to settle down and contribute to the population like my brother.”

Brian turned and blinked back at Kravitz, “Aren’t you going to start -, I think Sloane referred to it as nesting?”

“What?” Kravitz laughed and slapped the backseat. “No. Not married. Don’t want kids.”

Brian tilted his head curiously, but said nothing. “You do strike me as a free spirit,” Brad said thoughtfully. He paused and then correct quickly, “Not because you’re a bird, I mean. That sounds like a thing you hear a lot. Like people making Fantasy Shrek references around me.”

He was so sincere Kravitz couldn’t be offended. “You already stuck your foot in your mouth, don’t have to dig your grave, too, Brad,” Kravitz commented drily, trying to keep back a smile. “It’s fine, I do move around a lot.” His dream came back to him in pieces. “Some family in Louisiana, but I needed to leave to figure some things out.” Reflexively, he rubbed at the burns on his elbow, covered now by a flurry of inked feathers. 

“I, too, once chased my truth. I found Brian,” Brad smiled at Brian lovingly. “Even if things became a little confusing along the way.” 

They were holding hands and Kravitz averted his eyes awkwardly, glad they were pulling into the police station. “I’ll be a moment,” he said hurriedly, practically hopping out of the backseat while they made doey eyes at one another. Definitely a honeymoon phase after getting back together.

It took him more than a moment at the front desk. They were rather impressed he’d managed to put Olivia to semi-rest and it turned out there’d been a reward for anyone who could get her to commune reasonably. It left him with about ten thousand after everything had been verified and checked. The police had chosen to watch the relevant bit while Kravitz was still signing papers, some officers swearing as they put together the pieces he had about Sazed’s obvious guilt. 

Kravitz left the station an hour later, with texts from Brian saying they’d gone to a nearby cafe when he was ready to join them. He ordered himself a coffee and found them tucked away in a booth. “Sorry, it seems I caused a scene with that evidence,” he murmured in apology.

“We thought that was what happened. They have pretty good food here, buddy,” Brad enthused, gesturing to their empty plates. 

“I’ll go get you something,” Brian smiled, standing up. “You’ve strained yourself enough as it is. Should really be wearing a sling on your left.”

Kravitz tried to stand up, too, not really sure about how he felt about being left alone with Brad. Brian waved him off and went to the front counter. “Uh,” Kravitz said, glancing at Brad and taking a sip of his coffee.

“You know you don’t need to be shy around me, Kravitz. I’m glad Brian had fun with someone while I was away, being an idiot,” Brad said reassuringly. Kravitz almost choked on his drink. “You know, I was so wrapped up in saving for our wedding, that I lost sight of getting married to the love of my life. I want the best for him and that was you for a while,” he went on, sounding completely sincere. 

Kravitz sat down his drink and swallowed past the burning, coughing a little. “Uhm,” he murmured, sipping more of his coffee quickly. At some point, he would have to start thinking about what it was about him that led to people being emotionally vulnerable with him. 

“Listen, Brian and I did a lot of talking and -,” Brad started, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Brian came back, sitting on the other side of Kravitz in the booth so he was between the two of them. He slid a plate with an egg sandwich in front of him. Looking between them, Brian drummed his fingers on the table. “Oh, are we doing this now?”

“Well, it’s -. Now is as good as any,” Brad replied softly. 

Kravitz bit into the sandwich, feeling anxious. They were nervous, so he was feeling it acutely between them. Brian slipped an arm around his waist and put a hand on his knee. Kravitz froze, almost dropping the sandwich and looking up warily. 

Brian’s thumb rubbed little circles around the inside of his knee. “Alli, we had such a good time the night we met. Brad and I were thinking, maybe, we could all get together, Taako included, and discuss some mutually satisfying arrangements for -,” he was interrupted by Brad’s phone. 

Brad went to silence it, but frowned and sighed. “I’m sorry, honey, this is important,” he mumbled, answering it. “Hello?” A pause. Kravitz quickly ate more of his sandwich. He had no idea where this was heading. “You figured out where to place Kravitz?” Brad glanced at Brian. “A new trainee is always great,” he said with fake cheer. “Sure, I can be ready to start orientation by Monday.” Kravitz sat back, Brian leaning into his side, like he was trying to hear what was being said on the other side. “Sure can take over his transition to Bureau life. He’s actually sitting next to me right now,” Brad sighed, touching his temple. “Yes, alright. Goodbye.” He hung up the phone and turned to Brian. “This discussion should probably wait.”

“Oh,” Brian said, sounding a little disappointed. “Yes, we’ll talk more later.” His arm stayed around Kravitz’s waist, but the hand on his knee wrapped around his coffee. 

That was weird. Kravitz looked between Brian and Brad nervously. He wasn’t sure how to read the tension between them. “So,” Brad began, startling Kravitz out of his thoughts. “They decided where you’ll be working.” Sipping his coffee, Kravitz looked at Brad plaintively. Brad rubbed the back of his neck and laughed softly. “You have a lot of skill talking to people, finding things, being clandestine. Looks like you’ll be in Humanoid Resources. Working under me.” He gave Kravitz a broad smile, shifting into HR mode and out of whatever this more touchy persona was. 

Kravitz snorted derisively and sat down his coffee. “I’m sorry, but has whoever decided that so much as seen me?” 

Gesturing vaguely, Brad opened his mouth then closed it. He laughed, drumming his fingers. “It was an objective decision,” he admitted and looked away. “There’s no need to be nervous, buddy. We’re all new once. Besides, you look nice in a suit.”

“I’m not wearing a suit everyday,” Kravitz said flatly, taking a bite of his sandwich. 

Brad’s face fell. “Khakis and a polo also work,” he tried, plastering back on the smile. “The dress code isn’t optional, Kravitz.”

Kravitz turned and looked Brad dead in the eyes. “Then fire me,” he said calmly, drinking his coffee. 

“You know I can’t -. Oh,” Brad mumbled, looking put out. 

Brian gave Kravitz a little squeeze. “It won’t be so bad to see you in a suit all the time, Alli,” he grinned fluttering his eyelashes and squeezing Kravitz almost painfully. “Maybe don’t give Brad such a bad time, hm? It’s not his fault, darling.” 

Kravitz glowered down at his sandwich. There was no point in railing at it being unfair. Things had never gone smoothly for him and he was the one at fault for hoping it would now. He wouldn’t be around much longer anyway. “Fine, I’ll wear a suit,” he growled, drinking his coffee down and clutching the side of the table with his claws, barely touching it with all his might. Frustration prickled at the corners of his eyes. 

Brad sighed in relief next to him. “You know, for a moment I thought I’d have to give you your first infraction on your first day, buddy,” he laughed, finishing off his own drink. 

“A tragedy avoided,” Kravitz muttered and sat back. “Maybe we should head back to the museum. I need to apologize to Paloma.” He sighed and rubbed his temple. The day wouldn’t get easier from here. 

Brad nodded and slid out of the booth, picking up their mess. “Julia mentioned wanting to leave once our nocturnal friends are awake,” he commented with a smile, going to the trash bins. 

Brian spoke low and quick the moment Brad stepped out of earshot, putting his hand over Kravitz’s, “He’ll do the best he can to make sure you’re happy, Alli. It’s not fake caring, either. Work with him and he’ll work with you, darling.” He gave Kravitz something of a pleading look and squeezed his hand. “Repay me for the anti-venom by not making him unhappier than he needs be.” 

Kravitz’s expression softened and he covered Brian’s hand briefly. “I’ll do my best, Brian,” he promised sincerely. 

“Do better than your best,” Brian hissed and something in that fierceness reminded Kravitz of Olivia. “There are few people kinder than him. It’s not hard, darling.”

The debt he owed Brian kept him from snapping at the hand he was offered. Kravitz knew he needed to separate the Bureau’s actions from Brad, forced to carry them out. “Okay,” he whispered, not sure what else to say. Licking his lips, Kravitz added, “We should get some drinks when we get back to Lunal. Brad, too.”

Standing up, Brian held out his hands and helped Kravitz out of the booth. “I’d like that,” he winked and slung an arm around Kravitz’s shoulder. They walked to the door where Brad waited with his phone out, smiling at both of them as they approached. 

Brad put his hand over Brian’s on the divide between their seats. Half-afraid Brad would try to sell the Bureau again, Kravitz asked, “What were you going to ask me earlier?” 

They exchanged a look in the front seat. Brad cleared his throat, “We’ll have to take a rain check on that discussion.” An apologetic flash of tusks in the rearview mirror. 

“Right,” Kravitz mumbled and tried to come up with another point of discussion. “Weather is nice today.” 

Huffing a laugh, Brian turned to give him a look. “We should be past this kind of thing,” he grinned with a shake of his head. “Tell me, Alli, what are your hobbies besides being an undiscovered musical genius?” 

“You play music?” Brad chimed in excitedly. “What kind?” 

“I thought I told you, dear,” Brian laughed, patting Brad’s hand. “It must have slipped my mind. That man at the charity performance was Alli. I recognized him almost immediately in the bar we met at.” 

“ _Oh _,” Brad exclaimed like several things clicked into place. Kravitz looked out the window self-consciously. “You’re the whole reason he decided to stay in America, you know,” he went on enthusiastically.__

__“Ah, he told me,” Kravitz murmured, scratching the side of his nose. “It wasn’t that good, something I put together for a friend because they were short a few performers.”_ _

__“No, no, it is the whole reason I became a musician. Getting to work with and find people like _you_ who deserve to be found, Alli it’s -,” Brian smiled, his cheerful tone grating on Kravitz’s nerves. _ _

__“Can’t do much with a broken hand,” Kravitz interrupted, laughing bitterly. A frown fell over Brian's expression and he looked down at the place where his hand joined Brad’s._ _

__Softly and with a sad smile, he said, “The weather is nice.”_ _

__Shame pricked the corners of Kravitz’s eyes. He swallowed thickly and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath and swallowing down his fear, he opened them again. “I’m glad you enjoyed my music so much, Brian. It’s hard to believe my banging on piano in a dirty nightclub turned you into a scientist by day and rock singer by night,” he laughed, more genuinely._ _

__The smile Brian gave him was brighter than the sun. “It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it,” he beamed, gesturing vaguely with his extra energy._ _

__“I play the piano, too,” Brad added to the conversation._ _

__They managed to talk music for the rest of the ride back to the museum. By the time they stopped the car, Kravitz had made multiple promises to play music with the two of them sometime in the next week. Brian put his hand on Kravitz’s left shoulder before he went downstairs. He gave him a tiny squeeze and a small smile of thanks._ _

__After a second of hesitation, Kravitz gave Brian a peck on the cheek and turned to find Paloma. His face burned and he felt like a teenager again. Vividly, he remembered being flustered the whole way down to Jean Donovan’s house with a love letter in his hand. He managed to calm himself down enough to focus on the task at hand._ _

__Kravitz found Paloma playing some kind of board game with Angus in a side room. He pulled a chair over to the table and sat down next to them, trying to make heads or tails of what they were doing. “What are you playing?”_ _

__“Settlers of Fantasy Catan,” Angus said distractedly, placing a piece on the board agonizingly slowly._ _

__“Huh,” Kravitz commented, leaning back in the chair. “Paloma, I wanted to say sorry for the mess we made.”_ _

__Paloma waved him off, concentrating on the game. “I knew it would happen, I’m not fussed,” she answered with as little concern for Kravitz as Angus had._ _

__“Do you want me to clean it up or—?”_ _

__“Shh, shush,” she mumbled, clearly displeased by something that was making Angus smirk. Kravitz closed his mouth, watching her deliberate carefully over what to do next. There was a ding on her phone and she looked down at it with a tiny curse, “ _Cotton balls._ The cookies are done. Keep an eye on him for me, Kravitz, he’s a wily one.” She wagged a finger at Angus and disappeared out the door. _ _

__Kravitz touched one of the pieces lying to the side with curiosity. He wondered why they were taking it so seriously. Angus giggled and sat back, looking over the board. He adjusted his glasses and glanced at Kravitz. “Are you a sirin or a phoenix, sir?”_ _

__Kravitz dropped the piece out of surprise, fumbling to catch it. He narrowed his eyes at Angus, frowning. “Who told you?”_ _

__Angus looked away in embarrassment. “I heard you talking to my mom and Mr. Bradson this morning. Sloane studies endangered birds. The only endangered bird monsters are sirins and phoenixes. I looked it up,” he laughed nervously, drumming his fingers._ _

__“It’s not important and eavesdropping is rude,” Kravitz said pointedly, setting the little game piece back on the table._ _

__“I’ve never heard of sirins before and Fantasy Wikipedia didn’t have much except a link to The Story of Monsters,” Angus tried, again, to coerce Kravitz into giving an answer. “It didn’t say anything about sirins, though.”_ _

__“Good reason for that,” Kravitz sighed, hoping to change the conversation. He leaned forward conspiratorially, lowering his voice, “Do you know the _true_ story of monsters?”_ _

__Angus adjusted his glasses and sighed, “It’s what the Council of Faerun says happened to monsters,” he answered after some consideration._ _

__“Part of the Council’s founding, Angus, in Egypt,” Kravitz waved his hand and sat up straighter. “Monsters weren’t always so nice, you know.”_ _

__Angus frowned and looked down at a little scar on his hand. “I’m a werewolf, sir, I - I know,” he mumbled._ _

__Pausing, Kravitz took that information in. He hadn’t seen much of a resemblance, so he wasn’t sure why he was surprised Angus was adopted. “Ah, I meant before werewolves existed,” he said apologetically._ _

__“I thought they always existed,” Angus blinked up at him._ _

__There it was, Kravitz had him. “Let me tell you the story, then,” he laughed, pulling one leg onto the chair. “As my baba told it to me and his baba, who was there when it happened, told it to him.”_ _

__“How can he be that old?” Angus was already skeptical, squinting at Kravitz._ _

__“Well, he died in the Revolutionary War, but that’s not important,” Kravitz answered with a hand wave._ _

__“He met George Washington, too, I bet,” Angus muttered disbelievingly, lips thin._ _

__“Listen, Angus, it’ll answer your question,” Kravitz scowled, trying not to lose his temper at a thirteen year old. Angus waved his hand in a gesture that reminded him entirely too much of Taako._ _

__Sighing, Kravitz decided to start the story, “I don’t know what you believe in, but we’re going to pretend for a while that the Faerun gods exist or existed…”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy. I'm SUPER NOT DEAD. Hey there. *finger guns* Sorry this took so long, but I had some medical + other issues and decided to wait until my writing speed was back to normal. Next chapter over the next few days. Next three already written, but some background stuff will delay 'em!


	28. The Story of Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A story older than all the things they know

The Story of Monsters you know says that the monsters rose up to defeat a god with the help of The Raven Queen. It’s not wrong, but it doesn’t make sense if you don’t know the sirins’ role. 

Long before every legend you know, The Raven Queen was mortal. There are so many things lost to us about her. Many say it’s not important who she was and shroud her every action in a layer of mystery that make her seem incalculable and capricious with an edge of malice to her deeds. Everyone fears Death and some would do anything to discredit its power or its necessity. To understand the story of monsters, you _must_ understand Her. 

She was born with three things: the blood of a king, the reeds of the Nile, and a curse that marked her as a monster. Even if she became a queen, there were no sprawling empires for her to rule. She had no statue except for the land she protected by the Nile. Some say wars were waged over her beauty and others that she was the one who waged war for beauty. 

Still, she was a monster. 

Not in the way you or I are, Angus. When The Raven Queen still stood on the land she ruled, monsters were a fragment of The Hunger. The Hunger is god of monsters. Your patron deity and mine, too, whether we like it or not. He was willful, greedy and arrogant. Monsters had no mind of their own, only _his_ singular hatred for humanoids. Powerful monsters, like dragons or merpeople or orcs, plagued humanoids. The darkness was a place to fear, because it held certain death for anyone caught in the path of a monster. 

We monsters will always suffer for it. Every monster still holds a fragment of The Hunger, but we overcome it as other humanoids must overcome their own pettiness and greed. Monsters were once always that nightmare under a full moon, the cornered shadow with claws, and the thief in the face of glimmer. Those who could speak rarely put words above want. 

The Raven Queen was part of that. For some crime, long forgotten, a god turned her mother, pregnant with her, into a sirin. She hatched in the royal crib, something neither humanoid nor monster. In a land ruled by men, she was nothing of the sort. 

What kind of queen she became, we will never know. 

What kind of god, though, tells us a lot about who she was as a person. She shed her mortality in a duel and refused to bow to the god of the Dead as his consort. Her godhood was taken by her clever mind and force of will. There are few gods as powerful as she and all of it was power she took for herself without the same assets as given to other gods born to their divinity. She does not abuse it, because she believes in balance above all else. 

If she was willing to dethrone one tyrant god who put his arrogance over the natural cycle, why not another? Why not The Hunger? 

That’s where my geddo’s story starts. Not far from where The Raven Queen ruled, he was born to a village of sirins. Sirins are smaller as far as monsters go. Even then, more inclined to two hands and feet with than wings and talons. Like sirens, our magic lies in song and charm, but unlike sirens we are scavengers. Killing people isn’t something sirins do for food, not usually. It was too risky and they could be killed or captured easily. They weren’t really useful for The Hunger, so they kept to themselves, out of the way of monsters and humanoids. 

They mostly feuded with each other. When my geddo was alive, there were as many kinds of sirins as kinds of birds. Ones like ravens, sparrows, or hawks that held their flocks and thought they had nicer feathers or the best trees or the sweetest water. My geddo said -.

That’s not -.

Fine, I’m a peacock. Are you happy? Stop laughing. Yes, I know, ha ha. If you interrupt again, I’m not finishing this story, Angus. 

According to my geddo, the world was smaller before The Story began. At least, it felt that way. He knew the banks of the Nile, the pattern of its floods, and the best places to steal from crocodiles. If a human came too close, he would burst into feathers and wings, scattering as one with his village. They lived near a village of humans barely bigger than their own and encounters were frequent. The world was a narrow view of now without the foresight for tomorrow. There were no dreams to distract them. 

The thing about my geddo was that he was beautiful and -. No, I’m not just saying that because we look alike. What did I _just_ say about interrupting? 

My geddo was beautiful. Sirins supposedly mate for life when they find what my baba calls their soul mates, but I’m not sure how much I believe that. My geddo spent years spurning every sirin who thought they were in love with him. Then, one day, he heard a noise. Some small creature darted past him and he barely caught a glance at the huntress before her arrow tore through the edge of his robe, barely missing his skin. He froze in fear as his flock took to wing without him. 

By the huntress’s side, there was a hunter and they exchanged a look while my geddo rushed to rip the hem free from the arrow, tearing through it and fleeing after his village. Of course, my geddo was angry they’d gotten so close and he’d torn his robes. He was, after all, a peacock. He tried to patch it, all the while feeling The Hunger’s hatred for humanoids swell in his heart. 

A few days later, there was a new robe waiting on his favorite place to sun. Out of spite, my geddo snuck to the edges of the village with two of his siblings. He watched the humans come and go until he found the hunter and huntress. For a while, he listened to their singing as dinner was cooked over the fire. He felt the chill in the air. When the moon hung high in the sky, the hunter and huntress finally turned away from their village, towards the outskirts. They laughed and held hands, while he felt nothing but fury. Against his siblings’ protests, my geddo ran in front of their path. He held his head high and threw the skirt they’d given him at their feet. They startled back with cries of alarm that caught the attention of the other humans. 

“Don’t,” he spat at them and ran where they dared not follow him into the darkness. 

Things would have probably still come along as they did if my geddo had left things at that. He rose with the sun and went to the village, glaring from whatever perch he would take. As you might guess, it didn’t take them long to notice his presence. They left him things he rejected, at first. As time wore on, his flock migrated with the waxing and waning of food. My geddo could not bring himself to leave the village behind.

As food became more scarce, he snatched their offerings of scraps. The huntress would shake her head, having long given up on my geddo, but the hunter persisted through the year. It took a night of bad storms where my geddo, shivering alone for the first time, finally crept into their open door. He thought neither was paying attention, taking the bowl of warm stew sitting conveniently by the door, the warmth and shelter. A magical barrier went up behind him and he startled, finding his exit blocked. The hunter and huntress had been waiting for him. 

“You’ll get sick if you stay out there,” the hunter warned as my geddo tried to claw through the magic blocking his way. 

“We could have hurt you a long time ago,” the huntress told him simply. 

This was how my geddo got to know Maia and her husband, Seka. They refused to let him go back into the cold, making him settle down and finish his stew. The two of them were kind to him and my geddo let himself be kind, too. He fought down The Hunger’s hatred to accept what they offered him.

I’m sure you understand that Maia and Seka were his mates. This was, of course, unusual for a sirin. He slept there, curled on furs and, for the first time, he _dreamed_. 

Istus, Avadra, and The Raven Queen sat on their thrones before him. He did not know who they were and turned to them insolently, puffing up his feathers. They gave him an offer to take most of The Hunger from his chest so he could love Maia and Seka without hindrance. In exchange, he had to lead armies. 

He became the first of The Raven Queen’s reapers and Her avatar. Her influence connected him to the land of dreams, the Astral Plane, and blocked The Hunger from controlling him. Still, it would not be easy because he was meant to convince the others that this was a path worth following.

He woke the next day and the world was somehow less vibrant. The village stirred with the thoughts he’d never bothered to think because he’d never truly been alone in his head to think those things. My geddo would laugh that things were simpler when The Hunger sat just above his idle thoughts, ensuring he could never truly know peace. 

Yes, of course it’s funny. My geddo was hilarious. Are you talking poorly of a dead man, Angus? 

Ah, sorry, I’m not really mad. I didn’t think it was funny when I was a kid either. He had a weird sense of humor. 

Anyway, what was I saying? Right, okay, my geddo left the village to find his own after thanking Seka and Maia. His village followed him without question, exclaiming in their own ways when they, too, were touched by dreams. They went through the jungle, trading the simplest things to each flock in exchange for their aide. One asked for a feather of Our Lady’s as a sign of her dedication, another for my geddo to prove his worthiness by swimming across the Nile. Each fell in line, threaded to the Astral Plane.

The only consequence they bore was being cut off from The Hunger meant they aged after they were grown. They knew sickness, infirmity, and death. Their dreams came with nightmares, but that is the balance of life. 

Eventually, they grew too large to travel all at once. They made a city in the place where the human village had been. Humans and sirins intermingled and the town flourished with a temple to Our Lady even as my geddo traveled farther and farther to find more sirins. While he was away, The Hunger took notice of the sirins and commanded them to return to the homes they had flown from.

They did not listen, did not even hear him, and he _knew_.

The Hunger is clever, Angus. He went to their town square and market stalls, pressing darkness to the minds of sirins like an old friend offering wisdom. He asked them why they had served only for the simple things they’d once asked. Asking them why my geddo had kept dreams from them until after their simple tasks had been fulfilled. It was to take advantage of them when they had no mind to understand what they were truly agreeing to, he said. They gave their lives for feathers, for a completed task? A shame, a shame.

When he returned again to the town, my geddo was greeted by a mob. 

They demanded more from Our Lady than only dreams. Their dreams were full of loss and monsters, things The Hunger filled their minds with. They wanted the one thing that The Raven Queen would -- of course -- never give. They wished for immortality for them and their mates. My geddo went to Her temple, swayed as much by The Hunger’s nightmares as the others. He worried about what would come of Maia and Seka. Of himself? He could feel the age setting his bones to brittle. 

To his and The Hunger’s surprise, She agreed. 

It came with two offers -- two prices. I don’t know the details, but I know what happened. Half the sirins took the first and kept the name sirins. Half took the second offer, calling themselves phoenixes. 

They paid for their long lives with the lives of the generations yet to be born. 

I… I’d rather not talk about it. 

The Hunger still fought even as my geddo walked without caution. With armies to knock down the doors of the monsters he warred with, conquering them to even bring them to the table to bargain. He went to the ruthless dragons and left them wise. He went to the snarling orcs and left them singing. He went to the bloody fairies and left them dancing. All across the world, he and the others found the monsters and gave them an escape from The Hunger. Sadly, The Hunger made them fight to protect him. 

Even as The Hunger weakened, he still had one last trick. He went to the humanoids and leaned in to tell them a secret. The heart of a sirin or a phoenix would give them immortality. It was enough to chase the sirins towards extinction. 

Other monsters turned against them, too. As riled as they had been once, long ago. They turned on them with the hatred of The Hunger. The Fates tried to stop it each in their own way. They offered immortality with as much hard choices as the sirins and phoenixes had. The Raven Queen made the vampires tied to their dreams. Istus made the ghosts yet to fulfill their destinies. Avadra made the werewolves who could change themselves and their fates. 

Yet many still sought the uncomplicated immortality they perceived. It never worked, of course, but it was enough. When my geddo was away, fighting with the last village of monsters under The Hunger, he got the news. Loss makes people do… bad things, Angus. Terrible things. 

The others wanted him to feel their losses, too, because he had cursed them with this life. With the concept of loss. They took his only child because he had lost no one. He pressed forward on the village in anger. By the end, there was no one left to dream. 

No, Angus, they didn’t give him back when he went home. He was the older brother my baba never met. Not all stories can end well. He buried his son beneath the temple and turned away from The Raven Queen. Seka and Maia tried to bring him out of his grief, but he felt The Hunger’s hatred for himself and left the city alone. If he had been there instead of fighting, maybe they wouldn’t have taken his son. Maybe they would have taken him. These things chased him far from the things he knew. He thought She would come for him. But he had turned away from Death and She, too, turned away from him. 

I don’t know what happened next. Not exactly. 

I know he went back years later to find nothing left of the city he’d built. Except the temple, waiting, with its doors open and a small garden on the roof. In the doorway was a bowl of stew. 

He was the only one left, but there was still Seka and Maia, waiting for him to come home. They were what he’d been promised so long ago. Loving without hindrance, isn’t that what The Fates had said? So, he took what he was supposed to have all along and let himself start to find peace. 

It wasn’t long before The Fates called on his debt, “Neheb, you still have armies to lead.”

“What armies?” He said, gesturing to the empty sands, to the little temple, to its vegetable garden. 

“You,” they said and gave him a ring. 

He left the temple for one, last time, and found the shambling creature that had once been The Hunger in the rocks of the last village. It begged for mercy on the graves of the monsters it had made fight to their last breaths. “You have taken everything from me,” my geddo snarled. 

“What could I take from you? You thwarted me at every path,” it sobbed. 

My geddo stilled his knife because it was right. There was no one in the world who had to listen to The Hunger. Not anymore. Not for a long time. Not since long before they had taken his son. Yet, here, hadn’t he taken everything from the monsters because of his own grief? My geddo didn’t have to listen to it anymore, either, so he left it there to cry over its broken crown. If he had to live with his choices, then so, too, did The Hunger. 

It’s not all sad. My geddo went back home, Angus. My dad and my aunt were born. Geddo Seka and Gidda Maia are still alive. They live in Ohio. My baba says my geddo was happiest person he ever knew. He can’t remember him without a smile. 

No life is too difficult for peace. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Author’s not dead!!
> 
> Me: *disappears for a month*
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and Ailem’s ([@VioSarc](https://twitter.com/viosarc)) beautiful illustrations!


	29. Death's Got Game Winky Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story finishes and something new begins.

Kravitz folded his hands on his lap, watching Angus's face. "Sirins and phoenixes nearly all died to tell The Story, Angus. The draw of immortality is stronger than sense," he finished with a sigh.

Angus smiled sadly, "Thank you, sir." He stood up, looking thoughtful and turned away from his game with Paloma.

Breathing in the empty room, Kravitz wondered how much of his story had been untrue. It'd been told to his baba by his geddo, then passed onto him. He'd never have any kids and Caren thought it was all nonsense. He didn't want Kravitz telling Mac on the rare times he had seen her. As if history forgetting a monster was somehow surprising. At least, maybe, Angus would remember it well enough to tell someone else and then--.

He'd never known why it was important to tell the story, only that it felt like something that should outlive him.

His eyes rose to the ceiling and he wondered what it meant for so many to know this secret he'd kept in his heart for his whole life. Two government agents had handled their case for as long as he could remember. Now, so many more people knew about this and put so much more importance on it than he ever had. He ran a hand through his hair and Paloma sat across from him with a plate of cookies.

"It's easy to learn," she nodded at the board.

He laughed and picked up a piece. "Guess now is a good a time as any," he laughed softly. She looked at him and they both knew this wasn't about a game.

"It's not and it won't be, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try," she offered, handing him the plate of cookies.

That was slightly ominous. He gnawed on a cookie, leaning back and eyeing her. "I honestly can't tell if that's advice or fortune-teller talk," he commented, swiping crumbs from his face.

"Advice. I'm outside my business hours," Paloma grinned, moving a piece on the board. Her ears twitched and she scratched the side of her nose. She was lying.

Kravitz tipped his chair back, watching her face. He decided it was sometimes better not to ask; especially, where gods were involved. There was serving them and then there was asking for holy quests. After this misadventure, he felt there had been enough quests in the month.

They played until sunset.

Taako came upstairs and threw a leg over the chair to sit behind him with his arms around his waist, blanket still wrapped around him. "Asshole," he grumbled in Kravitz's shoulder. "Julia made me clean up all your shit." Kravitz kept his grin down by studying the board, humming noncommittally. "You owe me," he said sharply, nibbling Kravitz's ear.

"No flirting," Paloma warned, picking up a piece and considering carefully where to put it. She needed to do well here or she'd lose. They both knew it. "That'll disqualify both of you from this table."

At that, Kravitz did laugh, one hand hesitantly settling over top of Taako's around his waist. This still felt so new. Was Taako his boyfriend now? Was he supposed to do things like hold his hand? He _wanted_ to hold his hand, but was he allowed to? Taako went still against his back and Kravitz moved his hand to his thigh like the touch had never happened. He caught Kravitz's hand in his own a second later, locking their fingers together.

Kravitz raised his hand and made the wrong move with a little smile he hoped Taako couldn't see.

Much to Julia's annoyance, Paloma wouldn't let them leave until they finished their game an hour later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably another update today? The day after? Somewhere!


	30. Only Fools Don’t Admit They’re in Crushland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can you forget the constellations you discover?

They didn’t let Kravitz drive. Taako thought – after all the potions he’d taken – that would have been obvious. Turned out Kravitz was a big baby who didn’t know his limits. Taako slammed the driver side door shut and glared at Kravitz in the passenger seat. “If you’re gonna be like this the whole trip, I’ll ding your stupid car up as much as possible,” he warned with a wave as he started up the car. 

Kravitz buckled his seatbelt. “I saved up for this _stupid_ car in 1953. It’s an antique. Would you scratch your grandma’s knickknacks?” 

“Babe,” Taako leveled his gaze at Kravitz, lips twitching. “If I ever had a grandma, she’s been dead longer than knickknacks.” Realization seemed to dawn on Kravitz’s face. He turned away, snorting and stubborn. Taako laughed and pulled out of the parking lot. “You really one of those guys who acts like their cars are their babies?”

A moment of silence followed. With a glance at the radio that was far too modern for a car Kravitz had bought in 1953, Taako had his answer. Well, that wasn’t quite what he’d been expecting. An image of Kravitz standing around admiring a pick-up truck with the kind of people who really loved cars crossed his mind. He muffled a laugh and tossed Kravitz his phone. 

“Put something good on,” he grinned. 

Huffing, Kravitz fumbled with his phone. “You should really put a lock on this,” he mumbled, pinging the car’s audio. A [song started to play](https://youtu.be/y401buwpC-Y) and Kravitz looked down at the radio with raised eyebrows. 

It took him a moment to place the tune. From his mopey playlist. Taako felt his cheeks immediately go hot and he fumbled to smack the next button on his phone. “Play the road trip playlist!” 

Laughing, Kravitz switched it off entirely and took out his own phone. “Fine, I’ll play my own. Why are you so flustered?” 

Of course he’d ask. Taako glared at the road, shoulders up defensively with two hands on the wheel. “This is goin’ to be a long trip if you ask about everything I do, my guy,” he deflected with all the subtlety of a brick. It was stupid thing to have freaked out over. 

“This is going to be a long trip if I can’t ask about anything I want to know, Taako,” Kravitz shot back. It suddenly struck Taako that they were going to be in the car with each other for the next ten hours with no escape. He had no idea what the hell they’d talk about for ten hours. His hands tightened on the wheel. 

_You promised me later._

There was a warning about being careful what you wished for. He licked his lips and impulsively grabbed Kravitz’s hand, setting it on the divide. This shouldn’t have been so awkward. He’d dated a million guys. Kravitz snorted, but turned his hand so they could lock their fingers together. Taako felt his rapid heartbeat matched by Kravitz’s pulse. 

His hand loosened on the wheel. He rubbed the thumb of his other hand on Kravitz’s knuckles as [music trailed out of the speakers](https://youtu.be/Uagz0Xi-sMA). Maybe they didn’t need to talk for ten hours, but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if they did. That last thought seeped into Taako’s chest. 

“Huh,” he murmured as that warm realization filled his lungs and brushed his heart. He watched Angus peek out of the back of the RV and wave. Kravitz leaned forward and waved back. “Don’t encourage him,” he warned, giving Angus a look he knew the kid couldn’t see. 

“He’s a good kid,” Kravitz laughed.

“That’s only what he _wants_ you to think,” Taako responded suspiciously. Lup appeared in the window. He knew _she_ could see him, and stuck his tongue out. She stuck hers out in response and made an awful face that made both Angus and Kravitz laugh. He looked over long enough to watch Kravitz, face softening into a smile as he turned back to the road. 

Lup met his eyes with a barely contained grin and tugged Angus away from the window. Frowning after her, he wished the twin ESP thing went two ways instead of just the one. 

“How long have you known the Burnsides, Taako?” 

Taako blinked, glancing at Kravitz. “Think it’s been ten years. Known Julia for longer. Knew her dad before he fucked off to Raven’s Roost,” he shrugged. 

It was an easy conversation that came so naturally it would have frightened Taako had he taken a moment to consider it. They wove around old friends, past adventures and the quiet, ever-surprising way time passed when you’d forgotten to count the years. An old girlfriend Kravitz recalled skipping school with so they could dance on a frozen lake. An old flame Taako recounted dictating a drunken letter to that told Dickinson to get fucked. 

Moments lapsed into silences where each could fill the gaps of what became of so-and-so or what’s-his-name. So-and-so had likely passed with no more remark than an obituary and what’s-his-name had probably been one of a long list of others. People whose names had only been thought of over the last few years – however briefly – by staticians or a passing remark upon a tombstone. 

They were eternally young – or somewhat young, in Kravitz’s case – men that always found themselves left behind to the folly of youth for others. People had – as people do – passed in and out of their lives long before they’d been given any reason to mourn. They settled down, grew old, and forgot about warming each other's hands or the stars that they’d laughed under.

Lapses of the common – if somewhat metaphorical, all things considered – human experience. 

They followed the RV out of Glamour Springs. An hour passed before Kravitz freed his hand to yawn. “You can get some sleep, babe,” Taako whispered. He cleared his throat and said a little more loudly, “I’ll be good and won’t wreck your baby, my guy.” 

Kravitz snorted and took Taako’s hand again. “If I’m asleep, I can’t daydream about you,” he smirked and winked.

“That’s awful. You’re awful,” Taako laughed, squeezing Kravitz’s hand. “Please don’t tell me you actually use that on real humanoid people you wanna bone down with, my guy.” The answer came as a noncommittal hum. Oh, he for sure had. Taako covered his mouth, laughing. “How do you have _any_ sex?” 

“Considering my charm worked on you – The High-and-Mighty Taako – I don’t think it’s too hard to imagine,” Kravitz answered with a finger gun. He lowered it self-consciously after a moment, clearing his throat. 

“Really workin’ right now, handsome,” Taako tittered, reaching between Kravitz’s legs for the cooler without thinking. 

“I’d say,” Kravitz snickered and Taako swatted his calf, trying to keep his eyes on the road. 

“Lame joke. Lame joke from a huge dork, zero outta nine,” Taako complained while he fished around the ice for the blood. 

Kravitz snorted and pushed his hand away. “Drive, I can get it.” He pulled the cooler on his lap and frowned. “Taako, there’s nothing in here. Not even the water bottles,” he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I must have left them on top of the car when I—.”

“Fuck,” Taako swore, thumping the wheel and eyeing the road signs. It was going to be the first blood he’d had in a long time. Brad had brought it with him from the Bureau. Of course, he’d decided to eat in the car so Julia would stop glaring and tapping her foot pointedly. 

“We’ll get some at the next stop,” Kravitz promised, shutting the cooler. He sounded appropriately apologetic, at the very least. 

Taako tried to swallow back his fangs, suddenly reminded he was literally starving. “Text Julia and tell her we’re getting some food. We’ll catch up,” he announced, pulling off at the first exit he saw before Kravitz could protest. “Gonna taste like ash, but I’ll deal.”

“Seriously? Taak—,” Kravitz tried to argue. “Is there even food here?” 

“We’re gonna find out,” he grinned, forging on down the road and keeping his eyes open for the first sign of a neon light. “I’m starving and all the blood is in the RV.” 

He could practically feel Kravitz hesitating. “I don’t want to get too far away. Would my blood work as a snack?” _There_ it was. He glanced at Kravitz out of the corner of his eye. Kravitz was looking out the passenger side window, trying to seem indifferent, but the fingers twitching on his thighs betrayed him. 

“I thought I was the thirsty one, bubala,” he teased, turning towards a scenic route not far from the exit. 

“No, it’s because I feel bad about—,” Kravitz growled and turned away, staring heavensward. “Not because I’m _horny_ for it.”

“But ya _are_ horny for it, handsome,” Taako beamed and stopped the car, with a lake dappled in stars and autumn leaves in the rearview. He left [the radio on](https://youtu.be/cJjFqmvoJmA) and slipped out of the car. With a blanket in hand, he hopped on the trunk and patted the spot next to him in response to Kravitz’s disapproving look. 

Whistling, Kravitz gestured at the lake. “Really know how to treat a gent you’re making food, Taako,” he laughed. 

“Real good at this dating shit. That’s Taako,” he smirked, with two fingers up and a hand to his heart. Kravitz half-turned, opening his mouth and turning back to the lake with both hands over his cheeks. Squinting at Kravitz’s nervous glances, his words finally hit Taako. 

_Dating shit._

Good start. He ran a hand down his face, patting his mouth and staring at the stars. “Only fools fall in love,” Kravitz mumbled with a little smile in an obvious attempt to spare him. 

They both froze with a shared look of terror. Taako clapped his hands instinctively to clear the air. “Right! Dinner! Get your ass up here, homie,” Taako said, way too loudly and way too cheerfully. 

“Yes. Right,” Kravitz agreed, also too loudly. He forced a smile and swallowed, thickly. It was like they were on a crime show where the comedic reliefs go on a stealth mission. Taako snorted at that thought and held his arms out. 

Kravitz slid into his arms, palms flat against his chest, not quite looking at him. Not quite looking at where his fingers sat, either, somewhere between anticipation and indecision. Howdy, it would never cease to surprise Taako how much _wanting_ Kravitz seemed to do. 

He threw the blanket over their shoulders and Kravitz kissed him like he couldn’t hold it back anymore. Taako pressed him against the rear window, unconsciously humming the song against his ear. 

It seemed the notes didn’t escape Kravitz. He cupped Taako’s cheek, smile soft against his temple. That was unfair. There must have been a rule somewhere against making his breath hitch with a touch. Taako kissed the side of Kravitz’s neck, undone by the sweet noise lost in his hair. He traced the bandages peeking from Kravitz’s shirt. Briefly, he pressed his forehead against it and hugged Kravitz tight around the middle. 

“Oh,” Kravitz whispered, tilting Taako’s face to his. After all of it, Taako felt he deserved the barest hint of honesty. He deserved all of Taako’s worry, fear and guilt, but it came with gratitude. Gratitude and _hope_. He tucked his nose into the crook of his neck to turn away from the unguarded thoughts crossing Kravitz’s face. 

The song faded to the chirping crickets and singing frogs as Taako bit him as gently as he could. Kravitz winced, but that gave way to moaning a lot quicker than it felt on the beach.

After days of nothing, he tasted wonderful. The clear spike of arousal in his blood was probably helping. His hips bucked against Taako’s, hand trembling in his and head thrown back. Taako reached between them, groping him through his pants. 

At least they were on the same wavelength here. No awkwardness, only Kravitz pulling out two condoms from gods only knew where and offering one to Taako. Taako tugged him to his feet, the sizzle of Kravitz’s adrenaline on his tongue. He didn’t need much more than a gentle pull to get Kravitz to follow him to the water. They laid the blanket down and rolled around the fleece until they came together in each other’s arms. 

Foolishly, they laid under the stars and warmed each other’s hands and laughed themselves breathless. 

And didn’t forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed these guys.


	31. A Promise in the Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A promise, too.

They’d gone missing hours ago. Brad squinted at the crumbling road, slowly brightening in the approaching dawn. He switched off the headlights as a car passed them, nearly driving into the ditch to make enough room for two cars.

“Take a right.” Brian leaned forward, tapping on his side of the console. The GPS was in his right hand, with the steady pulse of Kravitz and Taako’s trackers plinking away on the screen. 

Brad followed his hand and turned the car onto a dusty road that left a plume of angry dirt along their trail. Alarm bells were going off in Brad’s head. This was starting to feel like a mission. He glanced over at Brian who was biting his thumb, staring down at the old GPS. “No wonder they got lost if they were turned around this far out,” he said softly. 

It was the right thing to say. Brian looked up with a smile, putting the GPS into his lap. “It’s a little romantic. I bet they were distracted by each other,” he laughed, leaning his elbow against the door and gazing out onto endless fields of grass broken by wire fences and horizon. 

“Maybe,” Brad started cautiously, “we could do something romantic after we find them and call it in.” 

That wasn’t the right thing to say. Brian’s head turned more towards the skyline. His hair no longer touched his shoulders, chipped nails tapping along the dash. “Dr. Bradson,” Brian began in a tone Brad couldn’t read. “You are a series of romantic gestures with little intention.” _Ouch_ , Brad thought, puffing out his cheeks and letting out a huff of air. He’d said it less bluntly the night before. “How long before picnics become roses you bought last minute and dinner is a-a five-minute phone call again?” 

The honeymoon was already over. 

“I thought those were better than nothing,” he murmured, hands gripping the steering wheel. 

“If you come home after we find them, you have to come home every night, Brad,” Brian said seriously. 

“I will. I promise I will,” Brad tried, guilt creeping into his voice and stress into his chest. 

Brian turned suddenly, hands fluttering in front of himself. “Prove it. Stop the car.” 

Brad floundered for a moment, slowing down as he glanced between Brian’s steady expression and the road. It’d been like this before they broke up, too. Nothing he’d said had been right. Brian would take his books to the study and Brad would be too exhausted for sleep. He’d work instead, promising himself he’d get ahead far enough to come home earlier. 

Earlier had kept getting later. 

He stomped on the breaks when Brian’s eyes hardened. The door opened the moment they jerked to a stop, Brian fumbling to get out of his seatbelt as quickly as possible. He jumped out of the car and dashed in front of the hood. Brad grasped belatedly at the air above Brian’s seat. “Brian, wait, what did I—?” 

Brian opened his door and took his hand. “Come on,” he urged. 

Brad shut off the car and stared at their hands. “We need to find—.”

“Whatever could take down Alli is not something either of us can deal with. They’re fine. Fools, but fine,” Brian grinned, tugging on his hand. “We can take a break, darling.”

Slowly, Brad unbuckled his seatbelt and Brian yanked him onto the dusty road. Brian pressed their noses together and put a finger under Brad’s chin. “You, Dr. Bradson, are,” he looked up very seriously. Taking a deep breath, he pecked Brad on the lips and ran. “It! You’re it!” Brad stared at the spot Brian had been standing. He glanced back at the car and then at Brian who was hopping the fence into the field. 

“You’re a cheater!” He shouted after Brian who only laughed gleefully. 

Brad chased Brian into the field. Birds began sang to the dawn as it rose above them. His slacks soaked in all the dew from the tall grass. 

They used to jog together every morning. Even in the winter, they’d race each other home across a frozen lake. Sometimes, Brad would stop them and spin Brian across the water and they’d shout carols and Brad had caught himself on the drive the day before humming ‘ _Let It Snow_ ’ because the cashier had said _darling_ to her wife and _gods_ —. 

Brian’s ring was still in his pocket. Brian’s birthday present still hidden in his trunk. Brian’s lipstick still sat on his dresser unreturned. 

He wasn’t as fine as he’d told everyone the minute they’d returned their rings to each other. 

Brian was ahead of him, hair a trail of gold and crimson and light. He’d taken Brad’s hand and wanted him to follow him. No more a dream that woke Brad up before his alarm or a reminder that looked like a crumpled movie ticket stub in a jacket Brad hadn’t worn in a while. 

He caught Brian at the top of a hill, wrapping his arms around him and lifting him off his feet to spin in a circle. Brian shrieked with laughter and held onto his arms. 

When was the last time he’d seen Brian laugh like that? 

Brian turned the moment he put him back on his feet. “You’re supposed to run away,” he grinned, hand sliding into Brad’s back pocket. 

“Why would I ever run away from you?” Brad leaned into his touch, arms around his neck.

“Bad,” Brian laughed, kissing his cheek. Humming, he took Brad’s hand. Brad picked out the notes and joined the song with a low note. Brian tucked his face into the crook of Brad’s neck and picked the higher notes. 

They left it there for a moment, swaying with ocean of flowers and grass around them. If Brad closed his eyes, he could imagine they were in their park with both their hands tucked away in Brad’s glove. This was a spot they’d stopped at on their way home. He’d make them hot cocoa before work and after a shower. Mornings smudged – always – by Brian’s fingertips instead of a cup of coffee to get through the day. 

It could never be like that again, could it? 

They’d be lying if they pretended it was that easy anymore. Like the morning hadn’t turned into hoping Brian would tell him what he needed to do to make him run with him again. Like they both weren’t glad Brad worked late so Brian would already be too asleep to pretend like Brad wasn’t there. Like they both weren’t the reason this had stopped working. 

“I love you,” Brad whispered softly, desperate to hold onto the things that had been good before. 

Brian leaned back, looking tired and sad. His expression softened, hair turning to a warm glow as the light caught on. “Thank you for right now.”

It hurt to hear. Brian hadn’t meant it to hurt, but the implication had been that he wouldn’t follow. That they would have kept driving or Brian would run off into the field alone. After a moment, Brad cleared his throat and whispered, “I’m sorry that you—. I wish I hadn’t made you feel like you had to be thankful to share right now with me.”

Brian touched his cheek, eyes bright. “You should. It’s been horrible,” he sniffed, shaking his head and patting Brad’s cheek roughly. He spun and sighed dramatically. “To pay penance, I suppose you’ll have to watch the sunrise with me until I’m sick of you,” he announced with a flourish of one hand, pulling Brad to the ground with him.

It was a terrible sentence for Brad to have Brian’s heartbeat close to his ear – steady pulse under their shared daydreams and the shape of the clouds – and to hope that this time he wouldn’t make Brian sick of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry my output is still awful. ._. I keep trying though!


	32. Maybe Be Less Obvious About Assassination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> News, extraction, and onboarding! Oh my !!

The morning began at noon. Kravitz woke up with Taako’s head on his shoulder, arm hooked around his waist. Vaguely, he thought he could get used to starting his day in that kind of warmth. He slowly slid out from under Taako, kissing his cheek as he went. Taako was, of course, already dead to the world and did no more than make a sound that was near to a purr. 

He grinned to himself and punched at the tiny coffee maker. At least the motel they’d found wasn’t half-bad. Even if they’d stranded themselves in the middle of nowhere. He blew on his coffee and sighed, thumbing open Fantasy Spotify for [something to fit his mood](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XZJ5mD6nSU). 

The first thing to check was the news. Likely, the local news had picked up the story or the third page of a national paper. He glanced at his emails and froze. It was flooded with requests to interview and old friends who wanted to know what he knew. Pulse in his throat, Kravitz threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt. 

He hurried out the door and stared at the newspaper stand. Splashed across each was a picture of Olivia. ‘ _The Fall of Glamour Springs_ ’, ‘ _You Grew Up: The Ghost of Glamour Springs Clears Monster of Murder_ ’, ‘ _Dead Men Don’t Tell Tales, but Dead Women Do_ ’. In one she was on a stage under a spotlight. Another of her and Brian on a motorcycle. Still one of her on set, head bowed as Sazed talked at her.

He picked up the one of her and Brian, paying for it at the motel counter and retreating to his room. It was what he was expecting. The details of Olivia’s testimony alongside it being given to Macallister ‘Grim Reaper’ Kravitz; his qualifications as a medium and priest for The Raven Queen were for once held in high regard. Of course, Paloma hadn’t resisted reporters getting near about the full story from her – including that Kravitz had nearly died in the process. 

She had tactfully left out Taako. 

He groaned and set the paper aside. There was no way he was going to do an interview. At some point, he’d be obligated to go to court to testify in place of Olivia. Otherwise, he was going to avoid all of this. He continued scanning down the page and put a finger over interviews with people in Lunal who reported having seen Taako. 

They’d need to make sure Taako stayed hidden. 

This was a case that had changed the course of history. The first monster on television from the first monster-friendly studio and it ended in forty people being gruesomely murdered. It more than anything was why monsters still weren’t on movie screens, televisions, radios. Their parts were played by humans who wouldn’t cause protests for recklessly endangering the cast.

He glanced at Taako and sighed. 

They would never live in a world where a human had been held accountable for sloppily framing a _monster_. An innocent man had almost been the forty-first victim of someone who had wielded the courts as his murder weapon. He sipped his coffee, cool now against his lips. The man across from him, the warm feeling in his bones, the sweet song only starting to bloom on his tongue, shouldn’t have been alive by law. 

They had a chance to live in a world where Taako could have an audience again. 

Kravitz picked away at his emails until he found one by a reporter named Ren at the _Glamour Springs Gazette_. A short flurry of emails and it was settled. She’d meet him at a cafe that night for an interview. 

Alongside the others was an email from his brother. It was short, simple, “`Mama and baba gave me your email. Are you okay? - Caren`” He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes, gulping down the rest of his coffee before replying. 

“`Yeah. Tell Macy I’m coming to her birthday party. See you soon.`” After a bit of hesitation he added, “`Wishing you well, Alli`”.

He made himself another cup of coffee and finally dared to turn on his phone. There were texts and calls from mostly unknown numbers and he decided to only glance at a few. He set his phone down on the bedside table and looked back at Taako. It was tempting to climb under the covers with him and sleep the rest of the day. Avoid the world that was – temporarily – much more aware he existed. He reached out, running a hand through Taako’s hair. Even in his sleep, he rolled over and started purring. 

_Well._ Kravitz was only mortal.

Smiling, he threw his shirt and jeans to the floor. He lifted the covers, starting to slide in next to Taako when there was a knock at the door. “Damn it,” he swore and went to answer. He wasn’t even going to bother with clothes if people were bothering him. “What—?”

Brian pushed past him with a small suitcase. “Hello, little lost lamb,” he grinned and set it on the floor. “Cute boxers.” Brad followed him in and Kravitz frowned after them, running a hand down his face. 

He shut the door and leaned against it. “Sent you after us, I’m guessing,” he sighed and eyed their luggage. 

“Sorry we foiled your elopement slash escape,” Brad laughed and set down a duffle bag. He went to the mini fridge and unpacked blood packets from a lunch cooler with Caleb Cleveland stickers all over the front. 

“We followed the wrong RV when we got back on the road and both our phones died,” Kravitz said by way of explanation. “Hardly an escape plan.” Brian paused and picked up the newspaper on the little table Kravitz had been using as a desk. 

_Right._

“We heard that the news broke,” Brad said softly, putting a hand on Brian’s forearm. Unconsciously, Brian slipped his fingers through Brad’s, unfolding the paper to read. “The Director said we’re to stay here for the night and await Hurley, Sloane, and Noelle to extract us.”

“Extract?” Kravitz frowned, crossing his arms. 

Brad pulled out his phone, flipping to the news app and holding it out to Kravitz. The first few were photos of Taako. He turned his phone back to himself and read aloud, “‘An employee at Fantasy Salvation Pizza claims she delivered a pizza to the Glamour Springs Museum and Taako Amaiat answered the door. She says that she has lived in the town since The Glamour Springs Massacre and recognized him from his frequent visits to a cafe she worked at during the 70’s.’” He glanced at Kravitz with a disapproving look. “‘Police are now scouring the immediate area and townships for any signs of the infamous vampire who hasn’t been seen since his escape from Ellis Unit in 1978 while awaiting a sentence of death by staking on forty counts of manslaughter. He was scheduled to be the first person for capital punishment after _Gregg v Georgia_.’” He stopped and stared at Kravitz. “I cannot believe you two ordered a _pizza_. At the scene of a crime where _he_ —,” Brad flung out a finger, pointing it at Taako, “— supposedly _murdered_ forty people!”

Kravitz sighed and crossed his arms. “We were kind of drunk,” he admitted, rubbing his temples.

“That’s why we’re here now, dear,” Brian said distractedly, head still buried in the newspaper. 

Brad set his phone down with a loud sigh. “Well, we can’t do anything about it now,” he said with a soft clap of his hands and forced a smile. “Have you eaten yet today? Brian and I didn’t have more than snacks on the road.” 

Glancing them over, Kravitz noted some grass stains and mud on their clothes. Fresh. “Looks like you rolled around in a pasture, too,” he commented and grabbed his clothes from the floor. “No and Taako will probably be hungry when he wakes up. We should grab something.”

After a bit more quibbling and lecturing from Brad, they left Brian to watch over Taako. They decided to walk the short distance rather than go through the trouble of driving. It was meant to be a quick trip to the gas station for something both cheap and edible. 

Brad startled and froze on the sidewalk for a moment as they turned onto the cracked road that passed as the town’s Main Street. Pausing, Kravitz glanced back with slight concern and then scanned the area for anything of alarm. There was nothing immediate. Surprisingly vibrant small-town storefronts and a squat, bulky building that read ‘ _Specter Holdings_ ’ with a tourist bus parked outside. 

He took another look at the bus, but it was too nondescript to read much from it. Besides that it was a weird thing to have in such a small town. Not to mention the building was—. 

It looked like the Bureau buildings scattered through Lunal. 

He turned towards Brad to find him already disappearing around the corner with a phone in hand. Kravitz chased after him, catching snatches of the end of the conversation.

“Lucretia! I can’t—.” A pause where Brad white-knuckle gripped an iron fence. He glanced at Kravitz in a way that seemed almost distrustful. “I know I suggested it. He’s not—. Really? For his first—? Is that why you’re overlooking their forged documents, Lucretia?” That caught Kravitz’s attention. “Fine. Yes. I get it.” Brad punched the end button on his phone and took a deep breath. 

“Right, this is fine! This is going to be fine,” he said under his breath and patted himself on the chest. Turning with a smile, he eyed Kravitz. “Congratulations, Kravitz, you’ve passed the onboarding stage with flying colors.” 

“What?” Kravitz stared down at his offered hand.

Brad took his hand and shook it briefly. He gripped it tight and tugged Kravitz back the way they came, towards the heavily wooded area. Kravitz didn’t really have a choice but to follow, left hand fumbling for his knife. 

“My real job isn’t Humanoid Resources,” Brad hissed. He whistled and something shimmered around them. Kravitz had seen a spell like this before. It’d keep their conversation inside the little bubble. 

“You don’t say,” he replied drily, trying to wrench his hand free. It felt like fighting with a bear trap. 

“You’ve been recruited to the IPRE, the Interim Protest of Reasonable Employees. We are a group of concerned individuals at Specter Solutions working to undo the mechanisms the company has placed for world domination,” Brad said flatly, watching Kravitz closely.

Those had certainly been words that Kravitz was having trouble processing. “You—. What?” He stuttered out a laugh. There were a lot of things Kravitz would accept out of someone’s mouth. That a company was seriously entrenched in some global conspiracy to take over the entire planet was not really one of them. Furthermore, that employees at said evil corporation would take it upon themselves to act on their _concern_. 

The image of Brad in a khaki cult robe with a pocket protector on the front – complete with a flannel cardigan around his shoulders – flitted through his mind and he laughed again. Loudly, awkwardly and entirely too self-aware that this was supposed to be a trip to the gas station. 

Brad sighed and took off his glasses, tucking them into his front pocket. “I know this sounds farfetched, but some of us joined a pharmaceutical company to improve people’s lives; not take lives away out of greed or shortsightedness or quiet disdain for the—,” he started, hands waving as he went. 

Kravitz watched his hands, mouth slightly ajar. “Brad, I don’t give a _fuck_ about why you joined the company,” he interrupted, not even sure why he needed to explain that. “Can we go back to the part about _world domination_?”

For a moment, Brad blinked. Then, he laughed to himself and patted his chest. “Oh, we thought you’d already figured that one out. We know you’re infiltrating the company in order to assassinate our CEO,” he chuckled as if he was saying, ‘ _Silly me!_ ’ “Which – while we’re on the subject – we are not necessarily opposed but think it’s a little on the nose.” 

Kravitz finally freed his hands and stared down at it. “I—. On the nose, huh?” He whispered, dumbfounded. 

“Just a little,” Brad smiled apologetically and pinched two fingers in the air. “We’d first be interested in how you had planned on doing it. We’ve ruled out poison, solar flares, unusual magnetic events and bullets. We really thought the sniper was going to work, actually.” He smiled at Kravitz warmly, laughing with maybe a touch of nerves. “He didn’t even notice it. Didn’t even stop drinking his coffee.” He paused, twiddling his thumbs. “Teamwork makes easy work, Kravitz,” he added softly.

“Brad,” Kravitz said slowly, glancing around. “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”

Brad swallowed and pursed his lips. “Not a word of it?” 

“No-o,” Kravitz drawled. 

“Well, uh, guess we do need to do some onboarding after all,” he sighed, taking out a PDA. Somehow, seeing an actual, real PDA was more surprising for Kravitz than everything else. “How much do you know about our CEO? You may know him by his other names.” Here, Brad poked at his PDA and began reading off a list, “‘The Infinite Darkness’, ‘The Insatiable Greed’, ‘The Hunger of Hearts’, ‘Jon’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A cliff hanger!! GASP


	33. Solid Start and Whatnot

The world was warm and heavy. Taako rolled over and snuggled farther into the pillows. Someone stopped talking next to him and he heard another person say, “He’s waking up.” Huffing, Taako decided he could prove them wrong and threw a pillow over his head. A hand gently shook his shoulder and he groaned.

“‘M sleepin,” he grouched, leaning up on his elbows with his eyes still closed.

“Yes, darling,” Brian soothed and sat next to him on the bed. “But your boyfriend has been missing for a few hours and we’re a bit more worried about him than your beauty sleep.”

Taako cracked an eye open to find Brad and Brian staring at him. He blinked and rolled, throwing his legs over the side of the motel bed. Wobbling to his feet, Taako made his way over to his suitcase. “First of all, _hi_. Second, ‘m takin’ a shower before I deal with my boyfriend bein’ fuckin’ murdered or somethin’,” he muttered and grabbed what he needed. He slammed the bathroom door before either had a chance to tell him off.

Normally, Taako took his time warming up under the hot spray of water. However, it didn’t take long for a sort of anxiety to set in about what had happened Kravitz. He rushed through the shower and dressed hastily. 

“Okay, okay,” he started as he opened the bathroom door. “I’m a real undead asshole again. What did you two do with that idiot? _Whomst_ – I want to be clear – is not even Fantasy FaceBook official. The closest we are is facefucking. Got it?” He gestured wildly with his hands, a brush in one. 

Brian and Brad looked up from a map. “The Director ordered me to recruit Kravitz to the IPRE,” Brad explained and set aside the GPS he was holding. “I explained the top-level company secrets and he laughed nervously. Then, he ran away. He’s, uhm, really fast.” He sat down at the table and crossed his arms.

Taako opened his mouth and paused. He threw his hair up into a messy bun and stepped into a pair of heels. “Okay, where is Brian in this mess?” 

“Officially, I have no idea what is going on,” Brian answered as Brad started to shake his head. “Truthfully, I can say I’ve put some things together.” 

“Good. Alright, Brad that’s a fuckin’ lot to drop on someone all at once,” Taako sighed and rubbed his temples. “Seriously, the fuck? Gimme his locale. I’ll go – I dunno – go reassure him that we’ll probably stop the only fuckin’ monster friendly company from destroying the godsdamn world through monsters and —.” His voice started to rise despite himself. He cut it off with a short snarl and shoved his sleeves down over his stress lines. 

“Bar on main street,” Brad answered shortly, frowning at Brian who only shrugged in response. 

Taako nodded and snatched his phone from the nightstand, charging out the door as he flipped it on. A few messages from the BoB trying to ping him. One from Lup that said, “`I hope you know what you’re doing.`”

He power-walked towards Main as he glanced over the others. Snapchat had one message. His finger paused over the notification from Kravitz and he clicked into it. The outside of a bar in the setting sun, “`Come if you want.`”

Taako paused and closed his eyes, sighing softly with relief. _Gods._ They may as well have been official. 

He picked the bar out easily and Kravitz even easier. Kravitz was in a corner alone with a glass of wine that looked untouched. He was staring down at it, expression closed. Taako slid into the seat across from him and he looked up with a little smile that made Taako’s heart pitter-patter. “Hey there, handsome,” he greeted and nabbed Kravitz’s glass. 

Kravitz snorted and leaned both elbows on the table. “Should we go somewhere else?” 

“Do we need to?” Taako took a drink. 

“I thought _Jon_ was metaphor. Something much more complicated boiled into one man,” Kravitz sighed and toyed with his phone. 

“I’m takin’ that as a long-winded ‘no’,” Taako interrupted and made Kravitz laugh. 

Kravitz put his chin in his hand. “Yeah,” he grinned and stood. Taako blinked in confusion until Kravitz slid into the seat next to him and put an arm around his waist. 

_Right_. Intimacy. Of the romantic and slash or emotional kind.

Hesitantly, he put his hand over Kravitz’s at his hip and squeezed. 

“Sorry,” Kravitz tried and laid his head on Taako’s shoulder. Taako stiffened, trying not to be too weird about the whole snuggling thing. “I have an interview at nine and you really shouldn’t be in public.”

Taako snickered and let his shoulders relax a little. “Who would wanna interview you?”

“All the people who know I helped clear your name,” Kravitz softly replied without missing a beat and tilted his head to smirk up at Taako.

“Sounds like,” Taako shot back and pressed his face to Kravitz’s without thinking. “This interview is more about moi than toi.” 

Kravitz sat up and put a hand on Taako’s cheek, suddenly serious. “It is,” he admitted and Taako’s heart did that annoying flip-flop. Taako swallowed drily. “You have a chance to _really_ make a difference Taako.”

Taako laughed and bit back the bitterness. “Tried that once, babe. Went great,” he dead-panned and took another drink. 

“You could come to the interview,” Kravitz said quietly, other hand covering Taako’s. 

“Then jail,” he growled and pulled his hand away from Kravitz’s.

Kravitz took a deep breath and pressed a kiss to Taako’s cheek. “If you go to jail, so do I. Trust that I don’t want that anymore than you do,” he said seriously with a touch of annoyance. Taako grunted and set the wine down with a clack. “Tell your story,” Kravitz hissed and tucked a strand of Taako’s hair behind his ear. “Tell this reporter the things that made me take another look. This isn’t just about you.” He paused and kissed Taako’s ear. “Nine-fifteen at the other motel. The shady one.” Taako turned his head away stubbornly. “Tell me the story of monsters.”

“No pressure,” Taako grunted and Kravitz slid money across the table. He kissed the corner of Taako’s jaw and stood up. 

“I’m going to go get ready. Text me the info. I hope I can see you soon,” he said softly and left.

Taako finished off the rest of his drink. He decided he hated Kravitz. Grumbling to himself, he flicked on his phone and changed his relationship status. Lup immediately commented a crying laughing face and he glared at it until his screen shut itself off. 

No, he hated _people_. He leaned his cheek on his fist. Why should he care about telling ‘ _the story of monsters_ ’? His story was hardly universal; not many people get framed for murder. _Yet_ , he thought. Maybe it was what Kravitz had said earlier. 

A metaphor for something more complex boiled down to a single man.

Boy howdy, he really did hate Kravitz. It’d been a long time since he’d let someone convince him that it wasn’t just about him. An image of Sazed flashed through his mind and his heart clenched painfully. Kravitz was hardly Sazed even if his taste in men factored into both. He blew out a puff of air and stood up, leaving enough money on the table to pay for the wine and tip. 

The rest he took for the motel. 

The motel took his money without glancing at his face under the dim lights. He decided to forego the bed for the chair with a grimace and texted Kravitz his details. A part of him knew Kravitz would open it and smile. 

His heart gave that stupid stutter. 

Shaking his head, he sent another text to Brian to let him know they were fine. He leaned over his phone and played with it as the time drew closer. It was listless; switching between Fantasy Twitter feeds and clicking on his Facebook to see the likes piling up on his changed relationship status. On Lup’s comment, too. Finally, the door opened. 

Kravitz let the reporter – Ren, she’d tell him – in with a wave of his hand. She gasped in surprise and disbelief. He closed the door and leaned against it with his arms crossed. They had some stilted pleasantries before the real questions started. Taako looked at Kravitz, standing there and listening calmly. He clasped his hands together on the table and looked Ren in the eyes. 

“Why don’t I tell you the whole story, bubala? You can ask whatever you want after.”

She took out a recorder and he told her everything. The way he never had before; openly, honestly. Ren was a great listener. She leaned into his story with sympathetic little noises that urged him to keep going when his voice faltered. He didn’t start with Glamour Springs and he didn’t stop with breaking out of jail even if he left the details of where he went sparse. Kravitz came closer, leaning his hip on the table as they talked. Taako gave him what he wanted, the whole messy story of thinking he was Taako and finding out he was only another _monster_. When he wasn’t paying attention, he had started to care about what had happened. 

He found Kravitz’s hand right beside his when he needed something solid to hold onto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you were missing your sap.


	34. Interlude for Taakitz Week

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normally I’d try to limit this to mostly plot relavent updates, but have an in-between that’s soft and sweet for Taakitz week.

The door closed behind Ren carefully, sun already broken through dawn into morning. Kravitz double-checked the curtains were bound close as Taako groaned behind him. He turned and tried to nudge Taako out of his chair, to the bed. 

“Nope,” Taako muttered sleepily, refusing to budge. “That bed is _gross_.”

Kravitz rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Well, your choices are the bed, the floor, or I carry you out to my car wrapped in a blanket. I’m not driving us back and neither are you,” he gestured vaguely to the cheap wine both of them had started in on at about 4am as they helped Ren finalize Taako’s story.

“Roll me up like a dead body. Kinda place this is, no one will notice, my guy,” Taako mumbled and laid his head on the table, barely awake. 

“You’re awful,” Kravitz sighed and walked to the door. “I’m tired, too, but I _guess_ I can go light proof my damn car for you.”

“You win. You’re the better boyfriend, babe,” Taako managed, in barely a sleep-drunk whisper. A small pause where the chair creaked and Taako batted at Kravitz’s wrist lightly. “Still my boyfriend, right?” 

Heat spread up Kravitz’s neck and he hunched his shoulders, hand lingering on the handle of the door. “I guess,” he huffed and hurried outside, flustered and flushed. 

This was such a weird territory for him of all people. He grabbed duct tape and cardboard out of his trunk, getting to work. It took him no more than ten minutes before he was heading inside with a thick quilt to wrap Taako in. Taako was barely awake, eyes cat-like slits watching Kravitz indifferently. “Ready?” He nodded and lifted his arms up. Snorting, Kravitz helped him stand. He threw the blanket over Taako and then scooped him up with a grunt. 

Wobbling, he got Taako into his car with only minimal bumping into things. He straddled Taako’s legs in the backseat then closed the door behind him. “Okay.”

Taako immediately freed himself from the quilt and tucked in against the pillows Kravitz had laid out. He looked around dreamily and smirked, wrapping his arms around Kravitz to pull him down. “Harpy boy built a nest, huh?” 

Kravitz’s ears twitched in embarrassment and he kicked off his shoes. “It’s not,” he insisted. 

“Mhm,” Taako mumbled, closing his eyes and starting to purr. His hands carded lazily through Kravitz’s hair.

“It’s not,” he said again, softly. He tangled his legs with Taako’s and hesitantly laying his head on Taako’s chest. Before he knew it, he was asleep again to the rumble of Taako’s comfort and trust in Kravitz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this is not forgotten!

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to follow my [Tumblr](https://evitcani-writes.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Evit_cani).


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